Oceans and Skies
by Fallen Angel23
Summary: winner of the BI comp A 1xR AU which sees Relena & Heero in the early 19th century on a boat to Australia when the smallest of actions changes both their worlds.Thanks to those who r
1. Chapter 1

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~~Oceans and Skies~~

Author: Fallen Angel

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Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

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A/N: An Alternate Universe written for Blissful Ignorance's Fanfic comp. It sees Relena and Heero on a ship set for Australia in the early 19th century and…why am I telling you all this? Go ahead and read it. Note: there may be some minor inaccuracies regarding dates and places and events but they are VERY minor - I actually researched for this one. 

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Rating: PG-13 for violence

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Pairings: 1xR (duh) and references to 2xH, 5xS and 4xD

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Chapter 1

[Somewhere in the Pacific, off the coast of New Zealand]

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14th November, 1805

Dearest Log,

  
Once again, it gives me great pleasure to write this. Sometimes I believe that these entries are the only thing keeping me sane while on this arduous journey, Dearest Log. (I did intend to call this a diary however Father insisted that, as we are on a ship, 'log' would be more suitable. I obeyed him, as I always do. It must be out of love. I realise now though, that I must love him very much to agree to leave beloved England and accompany him to Australia.) 

Already, we have been at sea for 8 months and have still another month to go, I think. I would know more, but Captain Chang will not speak more than two words to me. It is strange, but I believe he thinks women to be bad luck on a sailing vessel. I have noticed he treats what few other women there are on this ship with a similar disdain. It bothers me not: I have met many men with similar views on women. At least Captain Chang shows no sign of being abusive.

But I should not complain about my situation. There are others in worse living conditions than myself here on the 'Nataku'. (Yes, an unusual name. Father told me it is the name of the Captain's departed wife.) The convicts, for example, spend many dark and damp - and I'm sure, hot - days beneath decks while I am free to walk about. Even the free settlers, poor farmers from Ireland or the like, have it worse than I do.

Also, it is not every day that a girl such as myself - only 18 and just out of finishing school - gets the chance to travel the world and start a new life in a new country. Although this is all because of father. His agreement to help mediate the difficulties they are having in Sydney has brought us this far from home. Apparently, the governor of New South Wales' treatment of both the convicts and the free settlers has resulted in a number of riots. Father hopes talks will resolve the problem, as opposed to violence.

I only hope that it is cooler in Sydney than it is here. It is November, but here in the Southern Hemisphere it is fast approaching summer and the temperatures are rising higher than they ever were back in England. It sounds indecent, but I would give anything to strip off some of the layers of my dresses during the midsummer heat, as some of the free settlers' wives do. Of course, as married women, they are a lot safer than I am around these sailors and convicts. I've seen how they watch me sometimes and I give thanks to God that my position as a politician's daughter I am watched over carefully by the higher ranking officers. I'm also afforded better medical care than many of the others. (Unfortunately, I have heard of quite a few deaths since our journey began, mostly of scurvy, I believe. God bless their souls.)

I am grateful for the protection, mostly. However, it is isolating. I am a bird in a gilded cage, unable to get close to anyone, whether I want to or not.

And yesterday, Dearest Log, I met someone I would give a great deal to be closer to. He intrigues me and offers a welcome distraction from the monotony of this long journey.

His name is Heero Yuy…

He watched in sympathetic amusement as Miss Relena Peacecraft Dorlain bent over the railing, rapidly losing her lunch. It was cloudy and humid and the winds had knocked the boat about quite a bit. Even he, already well accustomed to the rough conditions, was finding it hard to hold on to a meal. He admired her though, for choosing a spot well away from the other sailors and officers, as if to keep up her image of the princess, unaffected by such human things as an upset stomach.

The ship gave another strong lurch and Miss Dorlain gave a soft moan of agony. He knew it was risky to make contact with her - she was too close to her father - but he couldn't help himself.

"Miss Dorlain?"

It was a credit to her finishing school that she took a moment to calm herself before standing up and answering. "Yes?"

He held out his small canister of fresh water - on any vessel, even one as well supplied as Captain Chang's, fresh water was like gold. Still, she spied the canister as if it were poison.

"Fresh water may help cure what ails you, Miss," he said carefully, since she was still eyeing him warily. Not surprising, he realised, seeing how beautiful she was - even with the red tinge of a sunburn and the flush of seasickness. Beneath all that, he could see her delicate features and blue eyes like the colour of a summer sky that had some of the cruder sailors making rude commentary about her. He only wished he could see more of her golden hair beneath her bonnet. Yes, a girl like that would have to keep her wits about her on such a vessel.

"Thank you," she replied politely, "but I'm feeling much better now."

In retrospect, he should've taken that as her answer and left. But something about her sparked his curiosity.

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Careful, Yui, he thought, _she's not just some doxy. She's Mr. Dorlain's one and only daughter. _

Still, he persisted, in a tone that left very little room for argument. "I assure you, it's only water. And, if I may say so, you're still looking a bit green. I'd much rather offer you water now than have to carry you back to your quarters after you pass out."

A flash of indignant anger showed in her cool blue eyes and Heero held back a smile. He'd always suspected there was a spark beneath all that primness. 

"I'm sure I'd be very grateful for your assistance, Mr…?"

"Yuy. Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure."

"Mr Yuy. Perhaps, though, in the interest of keeping my quarters private, I think I shall accept your offer," she said, the tone in her voice making it clear she was accepting his drink on her terms.

When she'd taken a small, but decent enough drink from the canister, she handed it back to him, meeting his eyes all the time. This enticed Heero more than lowered lids or blushing would have - she was an independent minded one, this one. Just like her father.

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…he left then and I was left bewildered. 

I had seen Mr Yuy around the decks and occasionally in the Captain's quarters. Which of course, led me to believe that he may be some sort of gentleman. However, the fact that we'd never been properly introduced and that I didn't actually know what he did led me to believe otherwise. Not only that, what sort of fellow wanders around offering drinks of water - and yes, it was just water - to seasick young women they don't know? It hinted at a type of self-confidence which had me as intrigued as it had me annoyed. Especially since he appeared only a few years older than I.

Forgive me - I have forgotten to describe him. Perhaps you will better understand then. You see, he was dressed well enough, in black trousers and a plain, white shirt with a pale blue cravat that set off the colour of his eyes. He wore no hat, surprisingly, so I could tell he had dark brown hair - which was well in need of a cut but suit him nonetheless - and blue eyes, deeper in colour than the deepest oceans. And now that I've seen the deepest oceans, I know that for a fact. He spoke like an Englishman, but had looks more intense and exotic - Asian of some type, perhaps.

Yet it wasn't his appearance that had me intrigued, it was many little things that on their own mean nothing, but combined make a whole picture. Like the way he didn't take the opportunity to brush my fingers while handing me the drink - as many men would have. Or the way he spoke like a gentleman, but not as pompously. So many things, I could use up a whole ink pot describing them. And I only met him for a few moments.

How much then, Dearest Log, could I learn over the weeks to come?

She spotted him just as she was tucking the pieces of paper, her quill and an inkpot back into the pocket in her travelling skirt. He was wandering along the upper deck, idly watching the horizon shift ever so slightly up and down in the distance. Of course, the horizon wasn't moving, the ship was. But after many months, the former appeared to be true.

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Strange, thought Relena, _how time can make us see things differently._

With that thought still in her mind, Relena found herself walking up to meet Mr Yuy.

"Mr Yuy," she said in greeting as she approached. "Good day."

"Good day," he answered but it seemed forced.

"Is something wrong, Mr Yuy? Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"No, Miss Dorlain, I was simply examining the clouds."

She tilted her head to one side in thought. "Examining the clouds? Why, may I ask?"

"Well," he leaned over and pointed, so that she could see the exact cloud formation he was looking at, "you see those clouds over there?"

"Yes."

"They seem harmless now, but should the weather continue as it has been and should the wind remain the same, it could very well be a storm by tonight."

Relena was a little taken aback by that comment. On the seas they'd seen a fair number of storms, but each was different from the one before it and each brought a new set of dangers.

"Does the Captain know this?"

"I'm sure he does," answered Heero. "But he is the Captain and it is his worry. There's nothing you or I could do about it, so the best thing for us to do is go below decks tonight and stay out of the way."

"Not together, I hope!" said Relena indignantly, taking his comments the wrong way.

"Of course not, Miss Dorlain," he answered, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile at her mistake. "I meant separately."

"Oh," Relena blushed furiously. She was sure, even with her slight sunburn, he could tell. And it annoyed her that he was getting a great deal of amusement out of her discomfort. "Well, since your advice has yet to lead me astray, I shall take it, Mr Yuy. Good day."

"Good day, Miss Dorlain."

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As I said, I had seen storms before, during my time on the Nataku. But nothing like the one Mr Yuy had predicted.

The sun had only just set when the winds blew up. They took down the sails but by then we were already being carried into rougher waters. 

I was below decks but I could hear it, almost sense it starting. It began with the sudden rush of sailors to the deck and the sound of rain falling on the beams. It started off softly, and then became heavier and heavier until it pounded with such ferocity it seemed the only sound to fill our quarters.

My thoughts instantly went to my father. He usually joined me in our quarters only after the sun had set. I thought, under such conditions, that he would have joined me sooner. He hadn't. I hoped he was with the other higher ranking officers in the Captain's office, but I had been informed by a passing sailor that all the officers were helping the Captain keep control of the ship. In which case, I had no idea where my father might be.

As the first crash of lightning lit up the now darkened sky, I made up my mind. I was going to find father. I knew better than to go straight out onto the deck, but if I could just look out and hope to catch a glimpse of him, I would at least feel better.

So, against the almost insane and completely unpredictable tossing of the ship I was able to make my way to the door which led onto the deck. What I found, though, was far from what I'd expected.

Before I'd left I'd brought with me a coat to protect against the rain. It offered no protection though, against the waves that crashed over the deck and into the corridor behind me, drenching everything in sight. I gasped for air as I clung to the doorjamb. Any hope of catching sight of my father were dashed as I looked out onto the scene before me. I was lucky enough to even catch sight of a passing sailor before another wave crashed over the sides and onto the deck, swallowing up the deck and everyone on it.

"Father!" I cried, my voice lost to the wind. "Father!"

It was, perhaps, because I was so focused on looking out for him that I forgot to prepare myself for the next wave. It crashed with such force, and knocked our vessel so strongly sideways that I was thrown away from the doorjamb and onto the deck itself. As I gasped for air beneath what felt like tonnes of water, a pair of hands grabbed me by the arms and pulled me up from the floorboards.

At first I thought it was father, until I heard, "What the hell are you doing out here?"

It wasn't as polite as it always was but I would know that voice anywhere. Heero Yuy.

I blinked water from my eyes, but his form became no clearer. "I was looking for father," I cried out over the sound of thunder and the howling wind.

"Your father is most likely below decks," he told me, a note of anger in his voice. But what should he care if I were on deck in the storm? "You should be there too. I thought I told you to stay in your quarters during this."

"You did," I admitted as he helped me walk back to the doorway. It was exceedingly difficult with my skirts as wet and heavy as they were. "But a gentleman doesn't point out when a woman has made a mistake."

He turned to me then, something mysterious and almost terrifying in his eyes. "Who ever told you I was a gentleman?"

My response was lost as another wave crashed over the side of the vessel and rushed over the deck. I felt myself being ripped from Mr Yuy's arms and carried towards the railing. Vaguely, I heard someone call my name before my hand was grasped in another's. But it was too late. The water was already carrying me, carrying us, over the railing.

I felt the wind being knocked out of me as I hit the frigid water. And though I had been taught to swim while on holiday in France the force of hitting the water winded me and the weight of my skirts held me down until, to my horror, I found myself slipping beneath the ocean's surface. The air in my lungs was already gone and I could do little more than close my eyes and pray it would be over soon…

Until a shadow appeared over me and grabbed me, pulling me up towards the surface again. In my delirium, I couldn't help thinking of the mermaids of legend, enticing sailors to their watery deaths. If this were a mermaid, then, they were doing a terrible job of letting me die, I thought as my head broke the surface and I was able to breathe in deep, blessed breaths of air. Yet it was still too much and unconsciousness beckoned me. I felt myself slip into sleep, yet the arms around me did not lose their grip. Before I did though, I noticed, vaguely, that my mermaid rescuer's arms were clad in sleeves.


	2. Chapter 2

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Author: Fallen Angel

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Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

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Chapter 2

[A small island, app. 200 nautical miles east of New Zealand.]

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Heero gasped for air and coughed out what seemed a lungful of water. Every muscle in his body ached. Even his eyes refused to open but he could feel what he was lying on.

Sand. He opened one Prussian blue eye blearily and looked out on the scene before him. He was on a beach, yellow sand stretching out for what seemed forever. The tide was going out and he could still feel the waves lapping gently at his feet. Uh, seawater. If he never saw any more seawater for the rest of his life he could die a happy man.

'Where am I?' he thought, frowning. He could remember only snippets of the night before; the storm, saving Miss Dorlain, swimming until he thought his arms and legs would fall off and finally, drifting, all his effort focused on keeping his and Miss Dorlain's heads above water.

'Miss Dorlain!' As quickly as his protesting muscles would allow, Heero pushed himself to his feet to look for her. Luckily for him, though, she was only a few metres away, lying asleep on the beach. Or at least, he hoped she was asleep.

He checked her pulse and sighed with relief when he found it. 

Now that he knew she was alright, he could take a moment to wonder what on earth had been going through his head when he'd rescued her. True, it had been a mostly instinctive action at the time but he couldn't say he regretted it exactly. Yet he had been angry with her for her foolishness in coming above decks. And admiring as well for her courage. It confused him. No one else had ever been able to arouse such strong feelings within him. He prided himself on being able to emotionally detach himself from everything but his goal. And saving her had not really been his goal when he'd boarded the Nataku. Nor had developing feelings for her.

Almost of it's own volition, his hand reached across to brush her damp blonde locks away from her forehead. Her bonnet had long since disappeared and, if not for her dress and coat, he would have believed her a mermaid washed on shore. As his hand lingered on her forehead - checking for a fever, he told himself - she stirred.

"Mmm, father?" she mumbled and Heero was brought back to the here and now with a thud. This was Mr Dorlain's young and beautiful daughter and they were stuck on an island in the middle of the pacific and the ship they had sailed in on was nowhere in sight. He had to be more careful.

"No, it's me, Heero Yuy," he answered slowly so as not to shock her. It didn't exactly work. She sat up suddenly.

"Mr Yuy? Where are we? Why aren't we on the Nataku?" she asked, her voice steady but her eyes looking around quickly, taking in their surroundings.

"There was a storm, remember? You came out to look for your father but was hit by a wave and washed overboard."

Recognition showed on her face. "I remember. You saved me, Mr Yuy."

"It was nothing," he said curtly, his memory of her foolishness, combined with his own confusion over his feelings, brought his anger back. Though he showed it as annoyance. "Don't mention it Miss Dorlain."

"It would be alright for you to call me Relena, if you'd like," she said softly, brushing sand off her dress. "After all, you did save my life."

"Very well, I was never a fan of formalities anyway. You may call me Heero."

"Well then, thank you Heero." She smiled at him then, a beautiful smile that lit up her sky-blue eyes. But Heero forced down these thoughts: it really was too dangerous to get attached to her.

"As I said, don't mention it."

"As you wish," answered Relena, hiding her disappointment. It seemed that, away from the restrictions of their society, Heero was already losing his sense of manners. Though that was unfair, she realised. It was her foolishness which had gotten them in this mess and if she were ever to earn his respect, she would have to get them out of it.

"Do you know where we are?" she asked hopefully.

Heero scanned the area. "We can't be far from a mainland. In any case, we need only find signs of civilisation and we may be able to organise passage to Australia."

"I agree we should find some civilisation, but don't you think we could then wait until my father sends someone to look for us."

Heero frowned. "He never will. We'd be waiting a long time."

"Are you saying he would abandon us?" she asked, her temper rising. How dare he insult her father in such a way?

"I'm saying nothing of the sort. But people who fall overboard into treacherous, stormy waters don't usually survive. Your father knows that, the Captain knows that. They're probably planning your funeral as we speak."

Relena fumed. "He won't give up as easily as you have. He will come for us."

"Fine, princess," he told her, using the mental nickname he'd given her and watching - with some delight - her face flush red in anger. "Play the optimist. I will play the realist and plan on getting us to some food and shelter."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" she asked. "For all intents and purposes, we appear to be on a deserted island."

"This isn't an action novel, princess," Heero replied. "This is the 19th century. Any island with what appears to be an ample supply of food and moderate weather will be civilised in one way or another." He pointed to the mountains further towards the centre of the island. "And you see those mountains? When it rains, fresh water will run down those and form a river. If we follow that, we will find something."

Relena paused, worried. It was one thing to socialise with this man on a boat surrounded by people. But here in the middle of nowhere, was it so wise to bestow her trust on a man she'd known for less than a day? Still, he had saved her life and he did seem to know what he was talking about.

"Since I have no better ideas at the moment," she answered, "we will go with your plan."

"Good," he answered, smirking. "Because I was going to go, with or without you."

Anger rising in her, Relena held her tongue. This was no time to argue, even if he did seem to be goading her. Shedding her coat - there would be no need for it in the jungles of the island - she fell in step beside him as he headed for the trees. And as they began to trudge through the greenery, she said a silent prayer they find civilisation sooner rather than later. The quicker she was off this island and away from Mr Yuy…Heero…the better.

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15th November, 1805

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Dearest Log,

It is only by some quirk of fate that I am able to make this entry. I can't imagine how my quills and inkpot - much less, my sheets of paper - remained intact in my pocket during last night's adventures. Yet they are. I even managed to find some berries which, while Heero told me were unfit for eating, can be squashed to use as ink. 

Heero…

I'm not sure how to feel about my travelling companion now. I am, of course, eternally grateful to him. But his attitude towards me seems to have changed since we arrived on this island and now I am not sure what to think.

First of all, he continues to amaze me with his knowledge of the jungle and his skills in leading us through it - I had suspected he may be a botanist; there were many headed towards Australia. When I tried to question him about it though, he only told me he was not a botanist.

In fact, in the past few hours that we have been walking, I've tried asking him many times about his past, since he seems to know quite a bit about mine. So far I have only discovered that he has no real past to speak of. He tells me he has no knowledge of who his parents were and that he spent the greater part of his life in orphanages or working part-time. As to why he was on the Nataku, he admits only to wanting to start a business in Australia. He tells me he knows not what type of business though, so I am led to believe he is lying. He doesn't have the look of a pioneer or a business-man.

On top of that, if he were only a free settler then why was he often seen with the Captain? And how does he know so much about the jungle if he's spent his entire life in London? Nothing about him makes sense. Yet I still find myself drawn to him - like the more mysterious I find him, the more determined I am to unravel those mysteries. Even if it does take me the rest of my life.

I should be more careful writing things like that down. Heero said he was going to find something for us to eat and drink so I don't know when he'll be back and I can't even begin to imagine how he'd react to knowing that I'd developed something of a crush on him.

Though it's more than a crush. With each passing moment I spend with him I know I'm feeling something stronger than a schoolgirl's crush. Even when he's not speaking to me I find myself enjoying his presence. Perhaps I'm mad, perhaps it's the heat. Frankly, I don't care. I'm almost enjoying being on this island paradise, if it means being with him.

But we won't be on this island forever. One way or another, I know he will get us back home - wherever home is for me now. He is that kind of man though, the kind who never gives up. Had we met back in London, I'm sure I would still be this entranced by him. Though we never would have met. The truth of the matter is that he is a mystery man with no past and no clear future and I…I am a woman who he sees as a princess. He could never see me the way I see him…past any social barriers. Social barriers which will exist the moment we step onto Australian soil. Those barriers were once my sanctuary, now they are my cage.

Dearest Log, what am I to do? I think I'm in love with Heero Yuy.

Some distance from the clearing in which Relena was seated, Heero was pondering similar questions. He had found some bananas and other fresh fruit not far away and so had returned sooner than expected, only to find Relena writing, of all things.

He would usually have stepped forward straight away, but he was enjoying watching her too much. The way she held the quill to her mouth, brushing the soft tendrils against her full lips, or the way her hair fell over her ears like curtains of gold…it gave Heero the distinct feeling that he was falling. And enjoying it.

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Stop it, he told himself. _Stop it, stop it, stop it. This can only end in disaster._

Pushing his new-found emotions aside, he knew she would never forgive him if she knew who he really were. She'd tried to find out earlier today but he'd skirted her questions by telling her lies, which he still felt guilty about.

But what was he supposed to do: come straight out and say, 'Miss Dorlain, I'm a spy for the English government, sent to investigate Governor Trieze and his reportedly unfair treatment of the free settlers and convicts in New South Wales. Should the reports be true, Governor Trieze will be…taken care of. And should your father choose to side with him rather than side with justice then he too will find himself in deep water.'

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Sure, Yuy, he thought to himself. _That'll sweep the girl off her feet._

And that was only one way it could end. Even if he did keep up the lie, once her father discovered she'd formed a relationship with a man like him, he would be out on his rear end faster than you can say 'undesirable'.

He sighed. How had things gotten so complicated so quickly?

"Is someone there?" Relena spun around, probably at the sound of Heero's sigh.

"It's only me," he answered, stepping forward. "I've brought some food."

"Oh, great. I'm quite hungry," she took her share of the fruit from him gratefully. Heero watched, fascinated, as she bit into a ripe peach and the tiniest drop of juice escaped from the corner of her mouth, running down her chin. He bit down the crazy desire to wipe it off for her, using more than just his hands. Luckily for him, she wiped at it herself with the edge of her sleeve.

Then she noticed him staring. "What is it? Oh, yes, I know it's unladylike, but honestly, who's going to care? Do you?"

"No. It doesn't matter."

"Good. It feels so refreshing to get away from all that stuffiness for a bit," she told him cheerily.

"Why? All that money and power becomes a bit of a drag, does it?" he asked, the bitter words escaping from his mouth before he could hold them back.

Her face fell at his words. "I didn't say that, Heero."

"You didn't have to."

Relena felt her temper rising. "I'm sorry, _sir, _if my position in society offends you. Yours certainly means nothing to me."

Heero had to concede defeat there. In fact, he didn't want to fight at all. "Forget I said anything."

He bit viciously into the fruit he was holding and tried to hold down his temper. It was easier once Relena stood up and made some excuse about going to powder her nose. When she was gone he reminded himself that she had done nothing more than enter his life - in fact, he had been the one to initiate contact, so it wasn't like he could blame her for how he felt.

No, how he felt was his problem alone.


	3. Chapter 3

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Author: Fallen Angel

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Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

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Chapter 3

After the sun had set, Heero had suggested they stop and set up camp for the night. He couldn't help but noticed how tired Relena looked - though she was trying hard to hide it. He supposed she'd never walked so far in her life. Still, she'd done well and they'd covered a great deal of ground.

When a fire had been lit and Relena had gathered a few large palm trees for something to sit on, Heero had offered to go get some food once again. Relena murmured consent and he left, soon finding himself back at the river he'd found earlier that day where he'd noticed, when he was filling his water canister, that there were a few fish swimming about. 

Swiftly, he pulled off his shirt and boots and - using what materials he could find around - fashioned a spear of sorts. Wading into the water, he closed his eyes and waited for the brush of a fish swimming past him. That would be the moment to strike.

Suddenly, his muscles tensed as something brushed past him. He brought down the spear with all his might but, to his horror, saw that it was no fish.

Back at their campsite, Relena heard the sound of Heero's cry and stood up, startled. He had sounded in serious trouble and for the first time, she considered that there might be god knows what in these jungles. But her fear for her own life seemed dim and meaningless in the light of her fear for Heero.

Lifting up her skirts, she ran towards the sound of his cry. "Heero!"

There was no reply, but it didn't matter. She soon found him, lying on a river bank, his hand clutching his side and his face contorted in agony.

"Oh god, Heero," she said, kneeling beside him on the moist ground. "What happened?"

"Snake bite," he told her between closed teeth. "Poisonous."

Panic filled Relena but her mind remained focused. "We have to get the poison out then." Gently she moved his hand away and bent over the bite: two neat red marks on his smooth stomach. She leaned over, bringing her lips to the wound but when Heero saw what she was about to do he stopped her.

"No, you can't," he gasped out. "Too dangerous." 

"No time to argue," she replied and quickly sucked at the bite, sucking up the poison and spitting it out with each mouthful. Heero's eyes widened in surprise and fear for her but she paid him no heed. Instead, she did it again and again until she was sure the poison must be out of his system. Then she moved to the water and rinsed out any that might be left in her own mouth.

When she returned to Heero, he was sitting up, glaring at her.

"What?" she said. "I would have thought you'd be happy that I saved your life."

"Not if you could've gotten killed in the process," he reprimanded her. "Where on earth did you learn to do that, anyway?"

"You think my father would've brought us all the way out here if I didn't know the first thing about taking care of myself in strange countries?" She smiled with pride. "A good education isn't only about reading, writing and arithmetic."

"It's no substitute for common sense," Heero said, pulling on his shirt but not doing up the buttons. "If you'd been killed too, it would've wasted all the effort I'd made in saving your life." 

He regretted his words the moment Relena's eyes closed slightly, glimmering with tears. "I'm sorry, then, that I was such a fool," she said. "I didn't realise I would be wasting your time by dying. Next time, I will be more careful." She stood up to storm past him, but he reached out and grabbed her ankle: all he could reach from his position on the ground.

"Let go, Mr Yuy," she said sternly.

"No. Not until you let me speak."

"Oh, I think you've said more than enough for tonight, Mr Yuy."

"No," he pushed himself to his feet and Relena couldn't help but admire that he was doing so, even when the bite must still be hurting him.

"You're only going to hurt yourself if you don't take it easy," she found herself saying.

"Then wait while I say something," he said as he met her gaze. "I'm sorry, Relena. I'm sorry I've been so hard on you - you've done well today and saved my life on top of that. I'm sorry that the people who brought me up taught me to be mistrusting of those in positions of power. And I'm sorry I'm too foolish to see past those things."

Relena's face softened. "I'm sorry too, Heero. It was my foolishness that got us into this."

His lips tugged at the corners in what was nearly a smile. "Then let's agree that we're both fools and be done with it." He moved to step forward but cursed as a pain shot through his side from the bite. Relena caught him in her arms immediately, concern written on her soft features.

"You shouldn't be moving about. A small amount of the poison may still be in your system, making you weak."

At least, that's what she was going to say. But when her eyes met Heero's, she was so taken aback by the wild passion she saw there that she forgot what she was going to say. She forgot even why she was here and who she was. All she knew was that he was staring at her as if he wanted to devour her, his eyes pleading with her to give in. Yet his eyes were also challenging her, daring her to deny that she felt something for this man and make the first move.

Well, she thought, I always did love a challenge.

As her arms pulled Heero closer and her hands brushed against the silk of his shirt, she smiled at him, staring at his mouth as if she wanted to kiss him. But she did no more than that and she could tell that Heero's resolve to hold back was melting like snow in the spring.

Finally, with a half-growl that was animalistic it thrilled her, Heero kissed her. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Feeling his lips tease hers, his mouth against hers with just the right pressure, she couldn't believe that such a thing would share the same name as those chaste things one got on the cheeks. This was no kiss. This was fate, need, fire and passion.

Yes, Relena thought as he gently parted her lips with his own and tentatively entered her mouth with his tongue, this was heaven.

He moved his hands up her back and to her face, where he cupped her face and stroked her hair gently. He then pulled away briefly and, tilting her head back, placed tiny kisses on her neck and jaw line.

Later, Relena would have sworn blind that it was only his arms and hands holding her that stopped her passing out from the blissful shock of it all. Sure, she had known what a kiss was from stories she'd read. But they had never mentioned anything like this, never mentioned the teasing little kisses that had pleasure shooting down from her neck to as far down as her knees and back up again. 

"Heero," she whispered, clinging to his shirt collar for support. "Heero, please…" her voice trailed off as she realised she didn't know what it was that she was asking for, but that he was the only one who could give it to her.

Heero knew this too. He could hear it in her voice and feel it in the way she trembled in his arms. She was pure, untouched…

Knowing this made him want her even more, want her until it hurt. And knowing this made him pull away.

"Relena." He stepped out of the warm circle of her arms and noticed, for the first time, how cold the night air really was. "Relena, we can't do this."

She blinked in surprise. "Wha-what? Why?"

"Relena," he growled out. Her innocence and trust was making this even more difficult. "I wish you could understand."

"If you're talking about what happens between a man and woman in the bedchambers, I already know. I'm young but I'm not that naïve. What I don't understand is why we can't."

Heero shook his head. "There are consequences we must pay for each of our actions. Here we seem away from the outside world but we will have to return to it one day. And I don't want to ruin your life there with what happens here. Relena I…I care about you too much to ruin your reputation."

"Very well," she agreed. "And I care about you too, Heero. I care about you enough to wait for a time when you feel we are both ready."

He nodded but said nothing. He didn't want to tell her that that time may never come. There would probably never be another place or time for them like this again.

"Good," was all he said. "Perhaps for now we should eat. We're both in need of it."

"Alright," agreed Relena. She smiled wickedly. "But maybe this time, you should consider using a net."

__

16th November, 1805

Dearest Log,

Last night was the last night we would spend alone. I think if we had known that, we wouldn't have slept so far apart, on either side of the fire.

For earlier today, we reached the civilisation Heero had been sure we would find on the island. But while I was expecting a tribe of native people or perhaps even a pirate's hideout, what we found was neither. At first, it seemed a mirage…it was so out of place, a neat little cottage in the middle of the jungle, perched on the edge of the river, a small garden at its back.

We did not rush towards it, though. Heero suggested that, since we had no idea what would be inside, we should wait near the jungle's edge and keep watch. Presently, though, a priest appeared: I recognised him straightaway from his black clothing and the white collar, though I had never seen a priest with a long braid before. He was singing - in English, I was glad to discover - as he collected water from the river.

I made to move forward but Heero stopped me. He suggested we wait longer but I told him that if we could not trust a priest, who could we trust?

The poor priest was so surprised to see two people in full English clothing to walk out of the jungle that he dropped his bucket. "Holy Mother of Christ," he whispered and again I wondered what type of priest we'd found. Heero quickly told him our story, and I got a shock as he introduced me as his wife, Relena Yuy. I gave him a look at this but then I was reminded of the women on the ship and how they had been safer if they were married and I remembered what he said about my reputation and silently accepted his lie.

The priest introduced himself as Duo Maxwell. When I asked whether he was 'father' or 'brother' he laughed merrily and said neither. "I was raised by priests, I work for them here and dress like one, but I'm no priest," he explained. He then told us that there was a small tribe of Maori who lived nearby who he visited regularly to teach about Catholicism, which he enjoyed immensely. He also told us that he could never be a proper priest though, for one very important reason. 

At this he called out a name, 'Hilde', and a woman appeared from the house. She was small in stature, but had a radiant inner strength. Her hair was so dark black it seemed almost blue and though her hair was long, it was braided and wrapped close about her head. She showed the same surprise her husband did - she introduced herself as Mrs Maxwell - but after she'd heard our story, she was more concerned with being a good hostess, showing pity for our ordeal.

We were given food and drink as we sat at their table and after, we helped them move furniture around in the study so that we would have somewhere to sleep. We were even given fresh clothes and shown where we could bathe. I offered, in exchange, to help Mrs Maxwell with the chores, since it gave me time to talk with her. I was glad of this since she was not much older than I and the first woman I'd truly spoken to since we'd left England, really. She was a great conversationalist and I was fascinated by her story - a love so strong that she followed her husband across the oceans to the middle of nowhere so that he could fulfil his duty. And I understood, too, Mr. Maxwell's choice in remaining a lay person. I was also able to learn many things about the island from Mrs. Maxwell, like about the Maori tribe and where one could find fresh food and water.

"Usually the weather here is fine, but storms are common offshore. We see the remains of many shipwrecks," she said, "but hardly any survivors. God must truly be with you."

I didn't know how to explain that if anything had saved me from death, it was a man named Heero Yuy.


	4. Chapter 4

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Author: Fallen Angel

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Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

****

Chapter 4

[The Maxwell residence]

The time they spent with the Maxwell's were the best times of Relena's life.

First of all - and even after many more years, Relena would believe it - the Maxwell's were the kindest people she had ever met. They were the living embodiment of a phrase Relena had heard once, that 'love is contagious, and once caught, is passed on to everyone we meet.' Seeing them together, Relena understood how, with only love and faith as their companions, Duo and Hilde were able to make a life in the wilderness. Had their bodies not been so human, they were the kind of people who could live without air if they had to, as long as they had each other. They complemented each other perfectly: Duo was humour on the outside, with seriousness on the inside. Hilde was seriousness on the outside, but humour on the inside.

On top of that, they were that rare breed of people who sees things not as they should or could be, but as they were. Even if Relena had been able to tell them who she really were, she knew they would have treated her no differently.

The aura of peace that followed Hilde and Duo around seemed catching. Relena had never felt more at peace than when she was helping Hilde in the garden, or cooking the evening meal, or walking to the Maori village to trade vegetables for other necessities, such as medicines or spices. 

And whatever was happening to Relena was happening to Heero too. At first her 'husband' seemed off-put by Duo's sense of humour and unabashed honesty. Soon, though, after having to go hunting together or in search of firewood, Heero saw Duo's many valuable traits and built a sort of grudging admiration for him.

But if the nights were joyful for Relena, the nights were pure bliss.

After dinner, when they had all joked and shared stories about their days - usually how Duo had played a practical joke on Heero and then earned a very potent death glare - they all went to sleep.

Or at least, the couples went to their separate rooms. But Heero and Relena wouldn't sleep. As they lay on a layer of blankets thick enough to make a mattress, they would talk for hours on end. Not touching or kissing. Just talking.

Well, most of the time Relena would talk and Heero would listen, since he insisted he had nothing much to say and enjoyed listening more. She would tell him about her life in London, about the mother who died when she was but a baby and the father who had had to be both parents to her growing up. The brother who'd gone missing many years earlier. She would tell him about finishing school and the girls she knew, none of them sharing her love of adventure and eagerness to break through the barriers put on women. She would confess her soul to him and in return, he would offer an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on when the memories were painful or sad.

It was there in the darkness, lying facing each other, that Relena and Heero fell deeply and irrevocably in love. But there was one thing neither ever dreamed to mention - what would happen when they had to go back? A merchant ship would arrive one fortnight after they'd met the Maxwells that would be able to take them to Australia. Each night was all the more bittersweet since it brought them one day closer to the end of their escape into paradise. Neither knew what their future in Australia would bring but both knew they feared it. For nothing could ever be as good as this.

__

29th November, 1805

Dearest Log,

Tomorrow the boat arrives which will take us to Australia. If not for father, if not for the pain I know he must be enduring, I would never leave. I know I could convince Heero to stay with me as well. I know that if I wanted to, I could convince him to build a new life here with me, away from the society that would tear us apart. 

But I could no more do that than he could make love to me by the river that night. I see now that we have no right to change our destinies that way when we don't know if we could pay for the consequences. Could I sacrifice my virtue for that one night with him? Could I never see my father again to live with Heero here?

My head tells me the answer is no. But my heart threatens to betray me. And I know the same is for Heero. I can tell that his feelings towards me are changing, getting stronger. We don't fight as much as we did those first few days, in fact, we don't really fight at all. We understand each other now: I know he no longer sees me as a princess, though occasionally he will call me that, just to tease.

Tomorrow may bring all that to an end. And I'm terrified, Dearest Log, I truly am. I am suddenly afraid of the life I led because there is no place for a man like Heero in it. I know he is afraid too, though he won't say it.

Remember how I wrote that we have no right to change our destinies? Well, the more I think about it, the more I realise it is MY destiny to do with as I please. What should the world care if I love Heero Yuy? What should it matter?

And the more I think about this, the harder it is going to be to avoid what both of us have been fighting since we got here. And I'm not sure I want to anymore.

Heero woke early, the way he always had, even before they'd arrived on this island. But this morning was different. He wasn't alone. Relena was in his bed. She'd been in his bed for a fortnight now.

Though never like this before. Never naked, curled up against his own naked body, her golden hair splayed out across his arm and her own arm laying against his stomach.

His mind went back to the night before with equal joy and confusion. He'd tried to convince her that they shouldn't, that it wasn't right…until she'd convinced _him _that he was only saying what society had taught him to say. If he listened to his heart, it would say something different.

He did. And it did.

And once he'd had that first taste of her lips, their first kiss since the night by the river, he was lost. He couldn't have stopped if he tried and her gentle encouragements and soft sighs only urged him on until he'd brought them both to the pinnacle.

The thought of it was enough to increase his heart rate and hasten his breathing. He calmed it, though, so as not to disturb her. But when he watched her breathe and examined her face, he knew she wasn't asleep at all.

"You're awake," he said softly. "How long for?"

"A while," she answered just as softly. She raised her face to look at his and he sighed at the sadness he saw in her sky-blue eyes. "I didn't want to wake up, though. I wanted last night to last forever."

"So did I." Heero heard his voice crack just a little as he said this, but ignored it. _You have to be strong here, Yuy, _he thought to himself. _She doesn't belong here. Neither do you. There are other places we both need to be._

She opened her mouth and he could see her forming the question 'could we stay?' but it seemed to die on her lips. He knew because it had happened to him too.

Instead she asked; "How much longer do we have?"

"Duo said the vessel will be docked all day until sunset. He said it should only take us an hour or so to reach the jetty. We should leave early just in case."

She nodded in agreement, but said nothing. He could tell that she didn't want to talk: this was the last time they could be together like this. 

"So how long till we leave?" she asked.

"We should be gone within the hour."

"We have time then," she said, eyes fairly pleading with him. Though she didn't need to ask. He understood.

Kissing her deeply, he moved above her once again and tried to ignore the tears that welled up in him at the thought that this would be the last time they would make love. Instead, he focused himself on only her: the sight of her, the taste of her, the feel of her. She filled his consciousness and his arms and when she called his name, the rest of the world faded away, the way a drop of water turns to nothing in the heat of the sun.

__

3rd December, 1805

Dearest Log,

I have never felt agony compared to what I felt on the jetty that day. It wasn't just leaving the island behind, or even leaving the Maxwells - though that in itself was hard. I had said a teary farewell to Hilde at the cottage, promising to repay her for her kindness and friendship one day and to write often. Duo had walked us to the jetty though, and as we farewelled him too, I found myself holding back more tears. Even Heero looked quite dismayed as he shook hands with a man I think he was beginning to consider a friend.

The merchant captain who owned the ship was happy to accept my necklace as payment for our passage. He was also kind enough to promise to return it once we reached Australia and I was able to get money from Father.

Heero and I continue to play husband and wife, but the masquerade seems harder to keep up now that we have sworn not to show affection for one another. We hope it will make things easier before we reach Australia in two weeks time. And maybe if we can fool our bodies, we can fool our hearts. But I know in my heart that I will still love him as much the moment we land on Australian soil. Even years from now, I will still feel this way. 

Each day is harder than the one before it, though. It's like we are paying for the privilege of our time on the island when each day had been better than the one before. Just as Adam and Eve had felt the sorrow after their eviction from the garden, so do we. Heero and I share the same room at night, but we don't talk as before, though I lie awake many nights wishing we could. During the days, I watch the ocean and with half a heart, think of Father and with the other, think of Heero. I can see him retreating further and further into an emotional shell, cutting me off from him bit by bit.

I want to tell him that it would be alright, that we would find a way to be together. That I will talk to father and convince him I loved this man more than life itself and father would say it was okay. But society never would. Rich girls couldn't marry poor men without bringing their virtue into question. Which, for father's sake, meant I would have to leave home. And I couldn't do that. Mother had left us, I couldn't do the same. And I wish, not for the last time, that we were back on the island.

Sydney harbour, for all its beauty and clear blue water, loomed in front of Relena as if she were a convict and this were to be her prison. She was so lost in this thought that it took her a moment to notice that something was bothering the captain. Then, when she looked towards the harbour, she saw the problem: all the boats seemed to be leaving.

She made her way towards where the captain was signalling another boat. Not surprisingly, Heero was already there.

"What's going on?" she asked him.

"There are riots in the colony," he answered grimly. "Some of the convicts have escaped and they've joined with the free settlers in rebelling against Governor Trieze."

"Where is the Governor?"

"No one knows. He's in hiding. But he's using the royal guard to control the people. No one wants to be here when the war breaks out."

Relena turned to the captain. "We are still docking though, aren't we?"

"Yes, but not for long. We'll pick up supplies before heading back to New Zealand. You'd be wise to come with us: it's not safe here."

"Thank you," she replied. "But we have family here and things to do."

"Very well," said the captain. "Best of luck to you, then. You'll be needing it."

The meaning of his words didn't hit Relena until they had docked and she and Heero were making their way through the wharves. All around them was chaos, people running back and forth, trying to get their possessions on a boat as soon as possible. In the town itself things were worse: shopkeepers and merchants were closing up in case people decided to start looting. It had already happened to a few shops, from what Relena could see. And every so often, she would have to cling tightly to Heero as a crowd of people made their way down the street, shouting things like, 'Freedom' and 'Justice' and 'Hang Governor Trieze.'

"That's treason," Relena said to herself.

"You'd do that too, if you'd had to live the way these people have," said Heero. "For a long time now, Governor Trieze has been cutting back on rations, raising taxes and making life harder for everyone in general. He even increased the land rates so that the farmers have to work all day in this heat just to earn enough to survive."

"That's awful," she said, "but my father was meant to fix all this. His Majesty sent him to negotiate with the Governor. I can't understand what went wrong."

Heero remained silent.

"You think my father's dead, don't you?" asked Relena softly.

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. I know how you think and I know how you see Governor Trieze…"

"It's not just how I see him. It's how he is."

"You don't know that," said Relena, fighting down her fear that Heero may be right. "You've never met him."

"I don't need to."

Relena cocked her head to one side. "There's something you're not telling me, Heero."

He sighed. "I'll tell you when I get a chance. For now, we have to find somewhere safe. It's never good to be on the streets when a rebellion is going on."


	5. Chapter 5

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Author: Fallen Angel

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Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

****

Chapter 5

[16 Arcadia Lane, Sydney]

"What are we doing here?" asked Relena, looking up at the house before them. It was small and roughly-built, in a neighbourhood where the houses all seemed to bunch in on one another in a haphazard sort of way.

"You'll find out soon enough." Heero raised one hand and knocked thrice. Soon, a woman's voice came from behind the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Heero Yuy."

There came a soft gasp and the door was flung open. A tall, blonde woman stood there, disbelief written over her face. "Heero?"

The sun was setting, so Heero stood forward until his face was illuminated by the light from inside the house. "It's me, Sally."

"Oh, Heero," she ran forward and gave him a hug. "We thought you were dead. When Wufei returned last week - they had a good tailwind - he was distraught. Blamed himself. He'll be so pleased to see you…" at this she caught sight of Relena, who was trying to sort out in her mind who this woman was and how she was so close to Heero.

"Is that…?" asked Sally in surprise.

"Yes. Sally Chang, this is Relena Dorlain."

Relena shook hands with the other woman and returned her warm smile. _Chang, _she thought, _this must be Captain Wufei's wife._

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dorlain," said Sally sincerely. "We thought you had left us, too. But it's not safe to talk here. Come inside, come inside."

They followed Sally into a small sitting room with a large fireplace. By the fireplace sat Captain Chang and in two smaller seats sat a blonde man with large blue eyes and a taller man with brown hair that almost fell over his face, neither of whom Relena recognised. They all seemed to know Heero well though, jumping up and showing the same enthusiasm Sally Chang had at seeing him alive. Even the stoic Captain Chang was smiling when he saw Heero.

"I should have known you would have made it, Heero," said the blonde man. "If anyone could have survived being lost at sea it's you." He saw Relena and smiled. "And you've brought company. I assume this is Miss Dorlain?"

"It is," he replied. "Relena, I'd like you to meet Quatre Winner and Trowa Barton, both friends of mine. And you've already met Captain Chang Wufei."

Relena was greeted warmly by both men. Though she couldn't, for the life of her, imagine what they were all doing here. Her confusion caught Captain Chang's attention.

"I see your companion is a little bewildered by us, Yuy," he said. "Perhaps we ought to explain everything."

"Alright," said Heero, taking a seat beside Relena and gratefully accepting the tea Sally offered them. "Perhaps you should start with what happened after we were thrown overboard."

"Well, understandably, I was distressed. As was your father, Miss Dorlain," said Wufei. "He suggested we look for you but there was no sign of you for miles around. We had to presume you were dead. I'm sorry now we didn't look longer…"

"Don't worry yourself," said Heero. "You wouldn't have found us: we washed up on an island somewhere. But that's a story for another day. Go on."

"With a strong tailwind, we managed to arrive here a week ahead of time. Mr Dorlain went almost directly to Governor Trieze and I commend him for putting aside his guilt quickly. Especially since, by then, things were already nearly out of control. Mr Dorlain went for his meeting with the Governor, but I saw neither the Governor, nor Mr Dorlain, after that. Two days later, it was reported the Governor had gone into hiding. I cannot imagine what has happened to your father, Miss Dorlain, and I apologise."

Relena breathed deeply, trying to hold in her anger and worry. All that time, looking forward to being able to tell her father she was okay and now to hear that he was missing himself. 

"Don't worry, Miss Dorlain," Quatre reassured her, "we'll find your father. And put a stop to this rioting."

"You? But how?"

Trowa shot a look at Heero. "You didn't tell her?"

"I didn't know how," answered Heero, though he knew it was a lame answer. He turned to Relena. "Relena, you asked once what I did for a living and I told you I was a businessman. But that was a lie."

"I know that," she said softly.

"The truth is, the crown has suspected that there was corruption in the colonies for some time. They couldn't be sure, though, without sending in people to investigate. People like myself, and Captain Chang, and Quatre and Trowa. We are all very different men, but all with the same mission. To keep justice in the colonies."

"So you're a spy of sorts," Relena said. "Why were you so hesitant to tell me this? Did you think I couldn't keep your secret, or that I wouldn't understand?"

"Your father has an important role to play in all this," replied Heero. "His success or failure in negotiating with the Governor would determine the future of the colonies. As you can tell, he did not succeed. And it has fallen to us to complete what he came here to do. I couldn't tell you because you were too close to him and your personal feelings may have influenced your actions."

"I see," said Relena, taking it all in. She should have felt mad that Heero had kept such a thing from her and earlier on she probably would have been. But over the time they'd spent together she'd learnt to understand this man and how he thought and she could see why he'd done what he did. "So what will you do now?"

"We were just discussing that when you came in," said Trowa. "The riots are getting out of control, but there isn't much we can do about that. The people will not be calmed until Governor Trieze has been found or until he has lifted the order for the law keepers to shoot all traitors."

"Which is nearly everyone," said Quatre grimly. "But we can't stop the people: we need to get to the root of the problem. We need to find Governor Trieze and if need be…" he cast a glance at the women present then shrugged. It was too late for coddling them. "…if needs be, we will kill him."

"Has Ghost contacted you?" asked Trowa. Ghost, Sally explained to Relena in a whisper, was the men's contact on the inside.

"A message will come tonight," answered Quatre. "Dorothy will bring it."

Relena caught the slight blush that raised on Quatre's cheeks and knew that this woman, Dorothy, must mean something to him. Then it hit her.

"Mr Winner, may I ask, have I heard your name before? I'm sure my father has mentioned you."

"He possibly has," answered Quatre, smiling slightly. "I own the newspaper, the London Weekly, and I was opening a printing press here when the trouble started. You'll soon find that people from all walks of life have been enlisted to help keep justice in the colonies."

"Like Ghost?" Relena asked, her curiosity aroused.

"Well, to be honest, I've never met him. I've heard he uses such a name since he is believed to be a dead man."

"The best kind of spy," said Wufei. "You can't track the history of someone who isn't even meant to exist."

__

Or, Relena thought sadly, casting a glance at Heero. _the history of someone who has none at all._

13th December, 1805

Dearest Log,

I've never been so fearful in my life. Not for my sake, but for the lives of the two most important men in my life: father and Heero. I pray that father is safe and I cannot afford to lose hope that he is still alive. I know now he never gave up on me: Captain Chang told me so. I think he has developed a small sense of respect for me since Heero told everyone our story - leaving parts out of course. Those memories belong to him and I alone. Sally told me not to worry about the Captain though, she had been married to him for two years now and assured me he wasn't as cold as he seemed. He only seemed especially grim now due to the upcoming dangers…

Which brings me to why I am fearful for Heero. While I was helping Sally prepare dinner earlier, I could hear the men talking in the sitting room. They were discussing how many firearms and bullets they have and their best plan of attack. They spoke about how they expected Governor Trieze to be guarded by his own personal soldiers but said it was only important that one of them make it through. This thought especially chilled me to the bone: they are willing to die for this cause.

I had thought that the worst thing would be having to leave Heero and I prepared myself for this. But now, in these dangerous times, and learning what Heero truly does, I must prepare myself for a new worry - that he may die.

It was only when I cut myself slightly as I was slicing bread - my eavesdropping had distracted me - that Sally admitted that she knew what I was feeling.

"Every time Wufei leaves for England I fear for him," she confessed to me as she bandaged my finger. "But it makes out time together all that sweeter. And I know that even if one of us died, our hearts live on together. You're in love with him, with Heero Yuy, aren't you?"

When she saw my shocked face, she quickly apologised for her bluntness. But I assured her it was refreshing to be able to talk with someone so personally and not be afraid of being judged.

"No one here will judge you, Relena," Sally assured me. "I know what it is to love and to be afraid of what others will think. But don't for a moment fear that none of us have not experienced such a love, one that defies rules and regulations." At that moment, the dinner was nearly ready and Sally went to call the men in to eat. But before she left, she turned to me with a smile. "If you end up spending the night here, I hope you won't mind if I place you in the same room as Heero."

I know she saw me blush, because she seemed to be holding back laughter. But I didn't mind her matchmaking. It was truly as she'd said. The less time you thought you had, the more your time together became all that more sweeter.

Dinner had been over for a few hours when their late night visitor arrived.

Wufei and Sally had already went to bed for the night, after making sure that their guests were well prepared for. Trowa and Heero were sitting by the window in the sitting room, cleaning their firearms in companionable silence. Not wanting much to do with the weapons, Quatre and Relena had settled on the couch, making conversation. Relena was eager to learn about Sydney and life in Australia and Quatre was happy to tell her.

"It's a lot hotter than in England," he said and Relena noted his light-coloured trousers and shirt. "But you get used to that, especially in the winter, when it doesn't snow and the days are still quite long. The people here are different too, a lot more relaxed. Well, they usually are. I suppose it's because there's so many free settlers here from poorer backgrounds: they don't care much for ceremony and the like. There's more important things to worry about in the colonies, like surviving through droughts and floods. I guess that's why everyone is so upset about Governor Trieze abusing his power - they have enough to worry about and they've worked hard to earn a living here."

"Are there always this many people here?" asked Relena. "The city seems quite crowded."

"Well, not usually. Many people, though, have made the effort to come in from the country to ensure that whatever happens, they have a say in it."

Relena nodded. "So what side are you fighting for, Mr Winner? The side of the colonists?"

Quatre paused to think about this. "At first we came on His Majesty's orders. But now that I think about it, I guess we show more sympathy for the colonists, because all they want is justice. So I suppose, yes. We are on the side of the colonists, because they are the ones being oppressed."

At that, Relena opened her mouth to say something but she was interrupted by knock on the door. Trowa stood up straightaway, holding a firearm.

"You won't need that," said Quatre. "I'm sure that's Dorothy."

"In case it isn't," the other man said, before leaving to answer the door. Everyone in the sitting room was tense, waiting for the sound of a gunshot. There was none. Instead, Trowa came back in silence, a bundle in his arms. 

It was only when Relena stood up to look more closely that she saw the bundle was a woman. A woman with long blonde hair and pale skin. 

"Dorothy!" cried Quatre, moving past Relena to take the woman from Trowa's arms and lay her on the couch. In the light from a lamp, Relena could now see that the woman's face was covered in bruises and her lip was cut and bleeding. Though it was hard to tell, since the woman's lipstick was red like the colour of blood. That was when Relena saw that not only was the woman's lips heavily made up, but the rest of her face was too. Her dress was flashy as well, cut indecently low in the bodice and full in the hips. Relena realised what she was with a gasp. She was a whore.

If she was, Quatre didn't seem to care. He was kneeling beside her, stroking her hair back from her face and holding her hand comfortingly.

"Quatre?" the woman mumbled, opening her eyes. They were light blue, lighter even than Relena's.

"I'm here, Dorothy," he said, his tone affectionate. Sally's words came back to Relena. _Don't for a moment fear that none of us have not experienced such a love, one that defies rules and regulations. _Instantly she felt guilty. Already she had judged this woman without knowing what her true purpose was. Knowing what these men were, Dorothy had probably just risked her life doing something to help them.

"What happened, Dorothy?" asked Quatre.

"Attacked," she mumbled between her cut lips. "Guards…thought I was acting suspicious…beat me…but I told them nothing…" here she rolled up her skirt and pulled a small piece of paper from her garter. She passed it to Quatre, smiling as she did.

"…from Ghost…a map to Trieze's place in the country…he suspects the Governor is hiding there…"

Quatre returned her smile. "You did well, Dorothy." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead then moved aside as Sally appeared, a damp cloth and bandages in her hand. 

"She'll be fine, Quatre," Sally reassured the blonde man before he and the others left the room so Sally could work in privacy.

Relena went with the four men - Wufei was awake now - to the kitchen to examine Ghost's map.


	6. Chapter 6

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Author: Fallen Angel

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

****

Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

****

Chapter 6

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13th December, 1805

Dearest Log,

I listened to the men's argument in the kitchen with great interest. Although it wasn't really an argument, each of them made good points about what would be the best way to attack Trieze's hideout in the mountains outside Sydney. 

I cannot begin to analyse the finer points of their strategy, but the conversation went something like this:

"I say we ride through the mountain pass then circle around and enter from the back."

"No, it's too exposed there. Besides, that would take too long. We could ride through the pass, though."

"The terrain is really treacherous. What if we get injured on the way there: we can't be of much use in a battle after that."

"It's a risk we'll have to take. The road will be too exposed. And they'll expect us to take the easier road. Only a madman would attempt to cover ground through the mountains."

"Exactly. We'll be encountering a battle one way or another."

"The fewer men we have to fight, the better. They are under the orders of Governor Trieze anyway: they shouldn't die for their loyalty."

While they were talking, I kept to the shadows of the room in the hopes they wouldn't notice me. They didn't. It was only when they came to the point of discussing who would lead the party that I spoke up.

In a calm, clear voice I told them, "I want to come with you."

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. All the other men looked to me, then to Heero, as if to say 'you brought her here, you tell her.'

He glared at me but I refused to back down. Finally, he said, "You can't. It's not safe."

"For a woman, or for me?"

"Both. It's not safe for anyone, to be honest. The brutal truth is we may well die doing this."

"This was my father's responsibility," I told him firmly. "Therefore, now that he has failed, I must take his place. Do you have a problem with that?"

Heero didn't answer, but Wufei spoke for him. "I will not risk my life even more by taking a woman on this mission."

"I don't see how being female has anything to do with this," I answered. "You let Dorothy partake in your mission."

"It isn't just that," Wufei went on. "You aren't trained for this. Can you even ride in that terrain? Can you even use a gun?"

Maybe I shouldn't have done what I did next. It was impulsive and dangerous and totally out of character for me. But my father's life was hanging in the balance, and I wasn't going to waste it fighting with a man who thought women were only good for keeping the house clean. But I did it and I'm glad I did. I strode towards the table and picked up the gun Trowa had been cleaning earlier and absent-mindedly brought with him. 

It was a flintlock, something I recognised. Swiftly, I checked it was loaded and shifted it from half-cocked to full-cocked before aiming it straight at Wufei's chest. All this in a blink of an eye. As their faces went from mild annoyance to outright shock, I silently thanked father for sometimes forgetting I was a daughter, not a son, and teaching me how to shoot. Amongst other things.

"If you doubt my ability to ride as well, Mr Chang," I said, trying to make my voice sound cold and threatening, "then perhaps we should race now. Otherwise, I suggest you accept my offer of help and take me with you."

Wufei continued to frown at me, as if trying to stare me down. But I was not to be defeated so easily. I saw, from the corner of my eye, Quatre stand up and step forward. "Now there's no need to get violent…" he began.

The sound of another woman's voice cut him off. It was Sally Chang. "Miss Relena, I would greatly appreciate it if you would aim that gun somewhere other than my husband…"

I lowered the weapon slowly, not wanting to offend Sally after she'd been so nice to me. I thought I was defeated then, until I heard her continue in a voice that indicated Wufei would spend many cold nights on the lounge seat if he were to argue.

"And Wufei, take her with you. Miss Relena is old enough to make her own decisions. And if you don't take her with you I'm sure she'll find a way to follow anyway."

That was how I ended up joining the mission. Later on, Sally secretly told me it was about time someone put her husband in his place, and she was glad it was a woman. 

I had best finish this entry soon. We leave in a half-hour. The men are preparing the horses now, giving me time to change into men's clothing and tuck my hair into a hat. They said it would be safer for me if I looked like a man.

This may very well be my last entry, now that I think about it. But I am not afraid. This is something worth dying for. Father, or Heero, if you are reading this, you have made it out alive while I have not. 

So I will say what I hope you already knew.

I love you.

The night air was cool, in stark contrast to the heat of the day. Relena was glad for it, though. It cooled her temper and invigorated her. It also helped keep her mind off other things.

Like Heero.

He was riding in the lead, guiding them through the rocky and dangerous paths through the mountains: some leading steeply up along gravel, others snaking down cliffs so high the bottom was not visible. But Relena didn't mind: she'd been one of the best riders - male or female - at her father's club back in London. The stallion she rode was wilder than she was used to, but more suited for the rough terrain. 

Now she only wished Heero was as agreeable. He'd made it clear to her he didn't want her coming along by not speaking a single word to her on their entire journey. She knew it was important they were quiet, so as not to be detected, but hell - even Trowa had spoken more to her since they'd left the city. Even Wufei seemed to have forgiven her for her boldness. In fact, he almost seemed to admire her now for it.

"I wouldn't worry about him, Miss Relena," whispered Quatre beside her. Again, she marvelled at how he could pick up on people's emotions. "He was like this back in London."

"You knew him before you came here?"

"We met a few times, about the mission. He wasn't very talkative then, either," he said, and Relena could sense he was smiling in the darkness. "Besides, he likes you. He will forgive you."

Relena sighed. "But how long will that take?" she whispered to herself.

Suddenly, Wufei came to a halt in front of her and Relena quickly brought her stallion to a halt. Up ahead, she could see Heero raise a hand, the signal to be quiet. Slowly and carefully, she rode with the others until they were lined up beside Heero. Only then did she take in her surroundings. When she did, she had to hold back a gasp. 

They were perched on the edge of a cliff, the land dropping away beneath them in an almost vertical drop. Beyond the trees that grew at the foot of the cliff, Relena could spy a clearing and within that, a large farmhouse. There was light in a few of the windows, and from that, Relena could see figures patrolling the house.

"That's it alright," said Trowa. "Now what?"

"We go down there," answered Heero.

"What? Down this?" Relena didn't need to see where Trowa was pointing to know he indicated the cliff. But the question was not nearly as worrying as the answer.

"Yes."

"Can the mounts handle it?" asked Quatre. 

"If we can, they surely can," said Heero. Then, for the first time that night, he met Relena's eyes, a silent question in his Prussian depths.

She swallowed her fear and nodded, assuring him that she was not going to quit now. That was all he needed to know. With a soft cry, he kicked hard at his mount's flanks and it tore off down the slope at breakneck speed, its hooves finding footholds even Relena's sharp eyes couldn't see. Gravel was kicked up and every so often, Relena was sure the horse would go head over heels. But it didn't. Heero was as good a horseman as she'd ever met.

Before she knew it, he was at the bottom, gently stroking the horse's neck. Shown now that it was possible, Quatre soon followed. Trowa was after him, then Wufei. Relena took a deep breath. If they could do it, so could she.

She wasn't to realises it at the time, and it would only occur to her much later. But this was her rite of passage. This was her proof to Heero that even if he could not be a part of her world - due to, of all things, money - at least she could be a part of his. With a silent prayer and a soft cry in her mount's ears, she followed the others, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she felt herself hurtling downwards, the thud of the horse's hooves echoing in time with her rapidly beating heart. It was all she could do to grip tightly to her mount with her knees and lean back in an effort to control her balance. 

Only when she reached the ground was she able to release the breath she was holding. 

"Good," was all Heero said. "Let's get going."

Relena would have been offended if she hadn't seen a glimmer of something in Heero's face as she reached the bottom of the cliff. It wasn't something she saw often, but she would know it anywhere.

Heero was smiling.

To have called Trieze's place a farmhouse was misleading. Sure, it was constructed of the same strong timber and corrugated iron as the other houses in the country. But unlike the other farmhouses, this one was huge, sprawling and spreading out in various wings. It was a standing testimony to the power and money Trieze possessed.

The five of them stood by a number of gum trees at the edge of the forest, a hundred metres or so from the house. Heero's expression was grim.

"We'll need to go in separately, if we're to get past the guards," he said. "Trowa, you and Wufei circle around and enter from the back - the delay will most likely mean you are backup. Quatre, you take the far side while I take the front."

"The front?" asked Quatre disbelievingly. "That's the most heavily guarded side."

"That's why they probably won't be expecting an attack from there."

That was when Relena chose to speak up. "What about me?"

"You aren't coming," said Heero. "If you wish, you may enter after we've secured the place."

"Heero…"

"No, that's it," his tone was harsher than she'd ever heard it. "I was crazy enough to allow you to come on this mission. I won't further that mistake by letting you go any further."

Relena knew there would be no arguing with him. "Alright. I'll stay here and wait."

It was the last thing she was able to say before they were gone, slinking around the edges of the forest to their assigned positions. Relena recognised that it was a credit to Heero's leadership abilities that they didn't argue with him, just followed. She only wished she could be so obedient. Waiting there for the others, all she could think about was how badly she wanted to be doing what they were doing. 

She fingered the gun tucked into the back of her pants thoughtfully. How could they be so sure she couldn't do as good a job as they would. A gun was a gun: who held it didn't matter. Not that she wanted to shoot anyone, especially if they were only following orders. There had to be another way…

Quickly, before she lost her nerve, she ran along in the darkness towards the near side of the farmhouse. Only one guard was on duty here and, while he was walking in the opposite direction, she crouched down and stripped off her clothes till she was left only in her camisole and pantaloons. She tucked the gun in the back of these before lying down on her clothes and making soft cries of pain.

As she'd expected, the guard raised his head at the sound before walking in her direction. Even better, in the dark, he didn't see her until he was right next to her and the sight of a barely clothed woman in the middle of nowhere had exactly the right effect.

"Lord Almighty," the guard said in shock. "What on earth are you doing out here, Miss?"

__

Haha, Relena thought triumphantly. _And they thought a woman couldn't do this job. Don't they realise women can be just as deceptive?_

As the guard put out a hand to help her to her feet, Relena said, in her most helpless voice, "Oh, thank god I found this place. I fell off my horse further up the mountain, my clothes were torn and I was lost…Please help me…"

"Of course, Miss," said the guard, putting an arm around her to help carry her, since she was doing a wonderful impression of someone having difficulty walking. Now that his arms were busy and he wasn't paying attention, Relena made her move. Before he even saw it coming, she had grabbed her gun and hit him over the back of the head with the butt of it. With a soft moan, he slumped to the ground. 

It took all of Relena's strength to drag his inert body over to the shadows of the farmhouse, before stripping him to his underwear and donning his clothes and taking his musket. She still tucked the handgun into her pants though; it had gotten her this far, she wouldn't abandon it yet.

And dressed like that, her hair securely tucked under her hat, she walked into the farmhouse. Straight through the front door and right passed the guards. They didn't even glance in her direction.

But hidden in the shadows beneath the front stairs, one person noted her entrance. He had watched her walk, her motions, so often and with such longing that he would have known them anywhere. 

Heero frowned, and bit his lip so hard with silent anger and frustration he nearly drew blood.

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Damn it, he thought. _Damn it, damn it, damn it._


	7. Chapter 7

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Author: Fallen Angel

****

Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

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Chapter 7

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Inside the farmhouse, Relena felt the first tingles of worry go through her. The place was huge and she had no idea where her father might be and worse, where Governor Trieze was. She was sure he wouldn't be as easy to fool as his guards and would see through her disguise straightaway.

But there was no time to worry - she had to find her father. And all she had for a guide were her instincts.

__

Still, she thought, _they've brought me this far…_

So she followed them, walking softly but surely down the dimly lit corridors. All the rooms were sparsely furnished and far too open to be housing a hostage. No, Relena thought, he would have to be somewhere secret. With this in mind, she checked every nook and cranny she passed. Under the stairs, in the cupboards and pantries, knocking softly in search of a secret door. But there was none.

Wearily, Relena sat down on the kitchen floor, resting her hands against the rug beneath her. Where could he be? 

Then it struck her and she almost hit herself for being so stupid. The rug!

With lightning fast movements, Relena pulled aside the heavy sheepskin rug to reveal a small trapdoor. Fingers frantic, she grasped at the edges and pulled it open, wasting no time in lowering herself down into the darkness below.

She held her breath and listened. There was the sound of soft breathing, coming from further in the room. Carefully, she walked towards them, her feet making no sound on the soft dirt floor. 

Relena found him around the next corner, lying on the ground, his hand over his chest. In the light from a small window near the roof she could see his breathing was shallow and his eyes closed.

"Father!" she couldn't stop herself calling out, running to his side and bending beside him. "Oh, Father, what have they done to you?"

Her father opened his eyes slowly, the blue irises unfocused and bleary. It was then that Relena saw what his hand was covering and she understood his pain, tears welling in her eyes. He had been shot in the chest, his blood already pooling on the ground beneath him. 

She didn't need to be a doctor to see he was dying.

"Oh, Father," she whispered, pulling him up into her arms. "Please, hold on. I'm here now. We'll get you out of this place."

"Relena?" he said, finally recognising the voice of his rescuer. "What are you doing here…it's too…too dangerous."

"No, I won't leave you. I don't care if Trieze himself comes in."

"He won't," her father gasped. "He left…you see…the man Ghost was his assistant…I didn't recognise him at first…but I knew soon enough…"

"Father, don't speak. Save your strength."

"No, you need to know this…" his breath wavered with every word, but Relena could see in his eyes that he meant to say what he wanted to say, even if it killed him. Sadly, she held her tongue. "The man…Ghost…he is your brother…Milliardo…"

Relena gasped. "What…no, how can that be?"

"I don't know…but he was trying to help me…Trieze suspected…Milliardo was going to get us out tonight…we were ambushed. I was shot and so was your brother…though not as badly…Trieze took him away…to Sydney…find a boat…to get out of the country…"

Relena heard his words but not all of them registered. Her mind could only find a few to latch on and these it clung to the way a starving child would cling to food. Milliardo is alive. 

My long lost brother is alive somewhere.

Trieze has him, but he is alive.

The thoughts echoed through her mind so strongly that she barely heard another person enter the cellar and walk up behind her. It was only when she felt a hand against her shoulder that she gave a soft cry.

"Don't worry, it's only me," said the voice and Relena's heart skipped a beat.

"Heero." He took her hand reassuringly and knelt down beside her. With the other hand, he checked her father's pulse. "He's dying, isn't he?"

Heero didn't need to say anything for her to know what his answer was.

"Heero Yuy…" her father said suddenly and Relena's attention shifted. "Is that you?"

"Father, you know him?"

"One of His Majesty's men…Trieze spoke about you…and I remember you from the boat…" he shuddered as he struggled for breath and Relena choked back tears. "Trieze fears you and your friends…like Captain Chang…you fight for the people…a good man…" His blue eyes dimmed as he tapped the last of his strength to speak. "Please…take care of my daughter…if her brother does not make it…she will be alone…she is strong…but not that strong…"

Each word became softer and softer as the wound in his chest hampered Dorlain's ability to breathe. But Heero heard each word as if they had been spoken straight into his ear, going directly to his heart. He lowered his head.

"I swear I will do as you ask."

Satisfied, Dorlain smiled before looking up at his daughter. "My child…my dear sweet daughter… Know that I love you and that…that you couldn't have made me any prouder than I already am…" he sighed and his last breath left his body. He closed his clear blue eyes for the last time and died.

"Father," Relena whispered, bending over his body and placing a soft kiss on his still warm lips. "Father, I love you too."

"He knew that Relena," whispered Heero just as softly. He prepared to stand up, in case Relena wanted one last moment with her father. But she turned to him, tears glistening in her eyes and Heero remembered her Father's words.

__

She is strong, but not that strong.

Without a word, Heero pulled her into his embrace and comforted her as she cried, bitter tears that fell on his shoulder and pierced him straight to his heart.

And he reaffirmed his vow, silently, that he wouldn't let anyone hurt Relena ever again.

When her tears had subsided, Heero picked Relena up from the floor and began to guide her towards the door. 

"Wait for me upstairs," he said. "The others have taken care of the guards so you won't be bothered. I will take care of your father."

That was when Relena broke out of her stupor. "No, Heero we can't. Trieze…"

"We couldn't find him. He's not here."

"I know. My father told me. He's gone to Sydney and he's taken my brother with him."

Heero's eyes widened. "Your brother?"

"My brother is the man you know as Ghost. Your insider. Trieze found out his real identity and has taken him to Sydney where he'll try and escape out of the country." Her voice was tinged with panic and she was clinging to Heero's shirt in desperation. "He was your spy and we can't just let Trieze go. We have to go stop him."

Heero frowned in thought. "I don't know if we can make it in time. They must be long gone by now."

"Are you giving up?" she asked, voice cold with anger that had no outlet. "You haven't completed your mission."

"How can I?" Heero grasped her by the upper arms. "The others have already left. You and I are the only ones still here. And Trieze still has some of his best guards with him. Are you saying we chase after him ourselves?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," she responded angrily and shook herself from his grasp before scooting up the ladder into the kitchen beyond.

"Damn it, come back Relena!" he called to her retreating back before chasing after her. She had a head start and moved quickly so it wasn't until they'd reached the stables that he was able to catch up with her. She was pacing up and down the stalls, picking the best horse of the group and saddling up.

Heero's voice was like ice when he spoke. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"You're insane! Are you planning to rescue your brother on your own?" he glared at her but she ignored it.

"Not just that," she answered. "I plan to kill Trieze."

Heero's heart stopped beating for a full 10 seconds. She was serious. He could hear it in her voice and see it in her face. "And," she continued, "if you aren't coming with me, then yes, I am going on my own."

Heero scowled. "This is very dangerous."

"I know that."

"You could die."

"I know that too."

"But you're still going to do it?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Silently, Heero walked over to the wall and grabbed a saddle and reins. He threw them over a large black stallion and rode up beside Relena. "Well, princess," he said. "It seems you were wrong about one thing. You won't be going alone."

They rode non-stop for hours, fast and hard, pushing the horses - and themselves - to the limit. The mountain terrain was just as difficult on the way back and Heero was beginning to feel the strain. Not just from the hard riding and the lack of sleep: he still hadn't had a chance to rest from his journeys with Relena.

He looked over at his lover but her face showed nothing but focus. He wished he understood what it was that drove her. For the mission, he could understand. For justice. For pride. But he had never gone all out for love before.

Not until today.

They rode flat out until the reached Sydney, just as the first hints of a sunrise were peaking over the hill. From the hill they'd stopped on, they could see all of the harbour and the many boats and all the people jostling about.

Relena's face fell suddenly and Heero knew what she was thinking. 'How will we ever find them in all these people?'

"We only have to look for a boat," said Heero to reassure her. "We know that's what he's after."

"What if he's already left?" 

"Are you giving up?" asked Heero, echoing her words from before.

His comment had the desired effect. Relena frowned and shook her head. "No, of course not. Come on."

She kicked her mount and tore off down the hill, Heero right behind her.

On one of the ships Heero and Relena had been staring at a moment earlier, Milliardo Peacecraft was straining against the ropes that held him tied to the mast. It was a hard job, made even harder by the fact that he was wounded, his shoulder bleeding profusely.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a smooth voice interrupted his work and he cursed inwardly. "I wouldn't want you hurting yourself any further."

"Damn you, Trieze," he said viciously. "You're the one who shot me. Why won't you just let me die already?"

"Ah, because, my dear Milliardo," the other man said, strolling over to look him in the eyes, "then I wouldn't be able to get all the juicy details about your treachery out of you."

"I won't tell you anything."

"But I already know nearly everything, Milliardo," Trieze said, as cordially as if they were at a dinner party. "Or do you go by the name Ghost now? Never matter. A traitor by any other name…"

"I'm not the traitor, Trieze," cried Milliardo. "You are. All these people wanted from you was leadership and you betrayed that, just to further your own power and wealth. I was loyal to you until you began to abuse the colonists."

Trieze was silent for a moment, blue eyes gazing out over the ocean. "Is that why you think I did this, Milliardo? For money and power? If so, you are mistaken. I have treated the colonists in the manner they deserve. They are all ex-convicts or pickpockets or thieves. I hardly see how that is abuse."

"You're not only a murderer," spat Milliardo. "But you're a liar too!"

"Liar? Murderer?" Trieze gave one of his unnerving not-smiles as he tapped his rapier against his thigh. "I am no murderer. I wouldn't have killed your father if you hadn't been trying to help him escape. I wouldn't have even kidnapped him if I hadn't discovered your real origins as a Dorlain , and with that, your treachery as the spy, Ghost. I needed your father to flush you out." He smiled to himself. "Fate is an unusual thing. My original plan was to kidnap your sister and use her against you and your father. Shame she was lost overboard. Still, I got my desired outcome."

"You sick bastard," cursed Milliardo. "How dare you try and convince me that I was responsible for my father's murder. And how dare you bring up my poor sister. Have you no respect for the dead?"

"You'll find out soon enough, once you too have passed along, _old friend," _said Trieze, sarcasm dripping at his last words. "But there is a lot we have to do before then. Now…" he took out his rapier and held it to Milliardo's throat. "…I need to know exactly how much you passed on to your friends…to Heero Yuy and his merry men."

"I'll tell you nothing. There is no one left alive for you to use against me."

"Going to play the martyr, are we?" asked Trieze. He ran the tip of his sword back and forth across Milliardo's jugular before suddenly swishing it to the side and driving it into the bullet hole in the blonde man's shoulder. Milliardo cried out in pain and thrashed against his bonds but it was no use. 

"Very well," said Trieze. "Do as you wish. There is a lot of time between here and our destination for me to find out what I need to know." He then smiled to himself as if he had stumbled on a great joke. "You know, Milliardo, it will be interesting to see how you die. Whether it will be a gunshot wound like your father, or drowning at sea, like your sister."

Relena stood at one edge of the harbour and sighed. Even with Heero, it could take forever for the two of them to search each and every boat moored there. She bit her lip in frustration.

"Hey," Heero said. "Don't be so pessimistic. You found your father, didn't you?"

"Father…"

Heero could have hit himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No, Heero, you don't understand," she said quickly. "Father said something to me, something that might indicate where they are."

"Relax, and try and put yourself back in that moment."

Relena did as he suggested, closing her eyes to put herself back in that cellar. "He said…he said that Trieze was afraid of you…and that he knew of you…And Captain Chang! That's it!" Realisation washed over her, filling her with hope. "Think about it, Heero. If he knew Wufei were on our side, what boat would he immediately think of stealing? What boat is now moored here, basically unattended?"

Heero's eyes widened as he comprehended what she was saying. "The Nataku."

They crept though the crowd to where they saw the Nataku moored, it's unusual red flags at the mast standing out against the clear blue sky. 

"That's it, alright," whispered Heero to Relena as they stood behind a warehouse wall. "And I can see Trieze's guards nearby." Sure enough, a dozen or so of Trieze's best men were piling up boxes near the ship. Supplies for a journey, Heero guessed.

"Can you see anyone on deck?" asked Relena.

"No, not from this angle. But I'd bet my right arm Trieze is up there with your brother."

"Then we have to go. Now."

Heero frowned at her. "Are you serious? With those guards there and all these people around? What were you planning to do, princess? Start a gunfight?"

"No," Relena rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Heero, you call yourself a strategist." She moved around him and pointed. "Look, the guards aren't actually on the ship. All we need to do is get the ship away from the jetty and onto the ship at the same time." She rubbed her chin in thought. "I'd say cut the mooring line, perhaps, but we'll be too visible while we do it…"

"Not if we're below water," said Heero. "Can you swim?"

"Of course I can swim," she said proudly.

"Good."

Before she even had a chance to speak, Heero had grabbed her hand and pulled her through the throng of people, towards the water. Hidden from view by the crowd, he held her hand tightly and jumped into the water.

He didn't let go of her hand until they re-emerged beneath the jetty the Nataku was moored to. Spluttering and wiping water from her eyes, Relena hissed, "Could you at least warn me when you're going to do that?"

"That's for insulting my abilities as a strategist," he replied as he reached into his boot for a knife. Slowly and surely, he swum over to the mooring lines that ran between the jetty and the Nataku and reached up and began to slice through the ropes.

"You'd better hold tightly to me. There's a strong wind up and the anchor isn't weighed," said Heero. "So when this line is cut, the Nataku should start moving pretty quickly."

The last cord snapped and, as Heero predicted, the Nataku began to move. Or at least, Relena assumed it did, since she and Heero were now being pulled through the water: Heero's hand wrapped firmly around the end of the mooring line and her arms wrapped firmly about his waist.

As the water washed over Relena's body, memory washed through her mind. She was in the ocean, but it was night and the wind was howling about her ears.

__

"Stay alive," a voice had told her sternly. She couldn't make out a face, only a set of Prussian blue eyes, staring into hers, willing her to breathe, to fight the cold and the dark and the almost irresistible urge to surrender to death. "Fight it, princess," the voice told her again. "Fight and live, Relena."

"Relena!" she blinked and found herself back in the present, the water still rushing around her. Heero was above her, climbing up the mooring line, pulling her hand in a appeal she do the same. Shaking herself out of her memories, she pulled herself up, following Heero out of the water and up the side of the Nataku.

Up on deck, Milliardo noticed they were moving straightway and prayed that, below decks, Trieze couldn't. After all, it couldn't be an accident that they were suddenly free of the jetty - mooring lines just don't snap on their own. Someone had to be responsible.

His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a man's voice at his shoulder.

"Ghost?"

"Yes, who are you?" A man with the darkest blue eyes he'd ever seen was cutting him free from the mast. A friend. It had to be… "Heero Yuy?"

"You got it," the other man said, pulling away the ropes. But Milliardo had stopped paying attention. His eyes had fallen on the woman standing behind Yuy. She was dressed as one of Trieze's soldiers, but even so, her figure and stance said clearly 'female'. But that wasn't what had Milliardo so curious: it was her eyes. Blue and expressive, they seemed so familiar. They seemed so like his mother's…

"Relena?" he asked, recognition hitting him. "Is that you?"

The girl's face went from concern to surprise to happiness in a split second. "Oh, Milliardo," she cried, bending down and hugging him gently so as not to hurt his shoulder. "Brother, it's been so long. I thought you wouldn't recognise me."

"How could I forget my little sister?" he asked with a smile, wrapping his good arm around her. "Has it really been so long?"

"We thought you were dead," she almost sobbed. "When you disappeared like that…"

"Bandits," he said curtly, as if he didn't want to remember. "But I survived and I have found my way back to you again. And father…"

Relena's face fell and she didn't meet his eyes. Milliardo needed no further explanation.

"But you spoke to him?" he asked softly.

"He was very proud of you," she responded. "And he died bravely. It was his words that led us to you."

"Then perhaps I will get a chance to avenge his murder," muttered Milliardo grimly.

"No, you don't," said Heero quickly. "First of all, we have to get off this boat. Then you can worry about revenge. Trieze won't be able to get far. Not without a crew."

"I have to agree with Heero," Relena said, ignoring the brief look of brotherly worry that she was on a first name basis with the other man. "You aren't in any condition to fight." She lifted one arm over her shoulders. "We'll get you into a boat and then…"

"But you mustn't," a cold voice said, sending shivers up Relena's spine. From her position she couldn't see who it was, but Heero's sudden defensive stance and the look of pure hatred on her brother's face told her all she needed to know about who was standing behind her.

Trieze Kushrenada.

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	8. Chapter 8

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Author: Fallen Angel

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Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

****

Chapter 8

"We can't have you leaving the party, now can we?" asked Trieze, walking towards them. Heero raised his small knife high.

"Don't worry, Heero," said Milliardo calmly. "He knows he's outnumbered and on a boat with no crew."

"Outnumbered?" asked Trieze with a smile. "You, dear Milliardo are in no position to fight me and I hardly think your sister is up to the task. Good to see you still alive, Miss Relena. Don't think I haven't forgotten what you look like from banquets back in England."

"It disgusts me to think we shared the same air for a time," Relena said in response. She was struggling to keep her voice even, though, since Trieze was well armed with a large sword and he had been right - neither she nor her brother were up for a fight. Their fates rested in Heero's hands.

"So you're the famous Heero Yuy," continued Trieze, his eyes falling on the dark-haired man. "I've heard so much about you."

"Then you know I have the ability to kill you."

"Of course. I'd expect nothing less from one of His Majesty's secret spies. And on any other day you might win," conceded Trieze, moving forward again. Relena moved to sit in front of her brother while Heero stood in front of them both. "But today, Mr Yuy, I have no desire to lose. Nor to die."

"If you surrender, I will see you get a fair trial back in England," said Heero, ignoring Milliardo's glare. He couldn't let personal feelings - his own or Milliardo's - could his judgement. 

"A fair trial?" Trieze nearly laughed. "My dear My Yuy, in the eyes of the English government I am still Governor of this colony. They would no sooner put me away than they would Miss Relena, for example." His laughter died off. "Oh no, the only proof of my misdemeanours lies in the words of you and your friends. Unfortunately for me, His Majesty will accept that as gospel, honourable men that you are. So you see, there is only one solution available for me. I must kill you all."

"And then what?" asked Heero, not phased by Trieze's threats. "Sail this boat all the way to England on your own?"

"No, just weigh anchor and wait for my men to join us," he said. "So shall we cut the small talk and get this over with?" He raised his sword and Heero's grim expression became grimmer. Trieze saw this and sighed.

"Mr Yuy, what kind of man do you take me for? I wouldn't go to the trouble of challenging you to a fight if you weren't sufficiently armed." He took a second sword, one Relena hadn't noticed before, from his scabbard and threw it to the ground in front of Heero. Warily, the younger man picked it up.

"Good," said Trieze, and Relena noted that he really did sound pleased. Maybe he _was_ after a challenge. "So if I win, you and your friends die. If I win, you may take me back to England."

"I only agreed to take you there if you surrendered," said Heero, taking up a fighting stance again, the sword before him like an extension of his arm. Relena hoped he was as skilled as he appeared.

"True." Something flashed in Trieze's eyes a second before he lunged forward, but Heero sufficiently blocked it. Then again and again. Relena had to concede that she didn't know much about sword fights - after all, they were dying out - but she could plainly see that Heero was on the defensive.

"Could Heero lose this battle?" she asked her brother softly. He didn't answer and somehow this worried her more than anything he would have said.

She turned back to the fight and Heero was again on the defensive, but he seemed to be slowly fighting back. Soon, he had mastered how to use his lighter weight and speed to his advantage, putting Trieze on the defensive. And it continued like this for a while, back and forth, neither conceding an inch. The only sounds to be heard were the clanging of swords and the occasional insults they hurled in an effort to throw the other off. Most of the time, the men's concentrations were so strong, such tactics didn't work.

A little while later, though, Relena could see that Trieze was getting his second wind and putting years of upper-class training to good use. Plus, the lack of sleep and heavy riding were taking their toll on Heero and he was beginning to tire.

Trieze saw this and fought even harder. Then, with a final lunge and a powerful swing, he knocked the sword from Heero's hand. It landed a few metres away with a clang that echoed through Relena's mind and the silence that followed.

"It seems," Trieze said between breaths, "that the best man has won."

"You consider yourself a man?" asked Heero bitterly. "That's a laugh. Anyone who abuses others simply out of their own prejudices and misconceptions has no right to call themselves a man."

"This false bravado is admirable, but ultimately useless. Just accept your defeat as you should, Yuy, and I'll make your death quick."

"But you have made a fatal mistake, Trieze," said Heero, with the ghost of a smile. 

"What?" asked Trieze, annoyed and just a little fearful. Men like Heero didn't smile like that unless they had something up their sleeve.

"You've forgotten that this was my home for 8 months. I have the home advantage." With that, Heero brought his foot up then stomped it down with all his might. The end of the floorboard beneath his foot shot down as the other end shot up, flinging Heero's sword into the air before falling into his waiting hand. He smiled again.

"After such a long time, I got to know quite a few little tricks about this vessel," he said, holding his sword to Trieze's throat, glad that the other man had lowered his own weapon earlier in his confidence that he had won.

"Well, then," Trieze said softly, his eyes on the tip of the blade at his throat. "It seems I was mistaken."

"Badly," hissed Heero. "And you will pay for you mistakes."

"With my death? That will only make you as bad as I, Heero Yuy."

Heero froze, Trieze's words striking something within him. It was one thing to kill a man in the heat of battle, but to stand there and coldly execute him was something else entirely.

He knew what Milliardo would want him to do. And he knew what was the logical thing to do, what was justifiable.

And he knew what he would have to do if he ever wanted to be able to look Relena in the eye ever again.

"We will take you back to England," said Heero. He turned to Milliardo and Relena. "Is that agreeable with you?"

Milliardo grunted an assent and Relena nodded. Then her eyes widened suddenly and she screamed.

"Heero! Behind you!"

Heero turned to see Trieze standing right behind him, hand raised and Heero's own knife in his grasp. He must have grabbed it from Heero's belt while his back was turned. He turned in time to see this but had no time to defend himself.

Blood was already pouring from a chest wound and down the blade. But it was not, as Heero thought it would be. He wasn't the one bleeding. It was Trieze.

The thing was, and luckily for him, no matter how fast Trieze had been, a longer sword needs less distance to kill and Trieze had, in effect, walked right into it.

Heero was in shock, but Trieze only gave him a sad sort of smile as he saw the blade running into his chest. "Well done, Mr Yuy," he gasped out, blood on his lips. "You've beaten me not once, but twice in one day. It seems the best man has won after all."

Heero pulled the sword away just as Trieze slumped to the ground, his eyes open and unmoving.

"Trieze," Heero whispered. "It wasn't meant to end this way."

Behind him, with Relena's help, Milliardo had struggled to his feet. He stood behind Heero and placed a consoling hand on the other man's shoulder. "You did what you had to do, Yuy. He would have killed you otherwise. And us."

Relena stood beside him too. "Heero, you've done what's for the best. He was a murderer."

Heero didn't answer, his eyes on Trieze's still body. "If he was a murderer," he said finally. "Then what am I?"

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31st December, 1805

Dearest Log,

That was two weeks ago to the day. After that, we turned the boat around and brought it back to the jetty. I must admit, we were all surprised to find Captain Chang, Mr Barton and Mr Winner already there. It turns out that they had come to the same conclusions we had after returning to Sydney and came down to the Nataku only to find it gone. They were able to have some fun, however, rounding up Trieze's guards and taking them to the jailhouse. I'm assured they won't spend much time in the jail since there were just following orders.

Trieze's funeral was not long after that. Despite Milliardo's protests, I went. I don't think he understood that I needed to do that to let go, to release any feelings of anger and vengeance I may still have held towards him.

Last week we also buried my father. My heart is filled with both sorrow and pride. He is dead, but he died for what he believed in: justice and equality.

I will try and live up to his legacy as Governor of this state. Yes, I know it's unusual, but not long after Father passed away, the people nominated my brother - as the son of a Dorlain - to be the new Governor until England sent word of a new one. However, my brother has never been one to stand in the spotlight and nor does he enjoy politics. He suggested to the people I take his place and after I spoke to them about what I believed in, they happily agreed. Milliardo is trying to make a big fuss over it - me, an 18-year-old and a female - as Governor. I assure him it is probably a temporary situation. 

Speaking of my brother, his wounds are healing well, especially with the assistance of our live-in nurse, Miss Noin. Although, having seen my brother's face when she is in the room, I suspect the healing is as much to do with her smile as her skills. Perhaps, with any luck, I will gain a sister-in-law in the New Year. 

I only wish my own prospects of marriage were so hopeful. Although marriage seems the wrong word. I may be young, but I am not so naïve to believe that a few months with a man - no matter what happens during the nights - doesn't instantly mean wedding bells. But since what happened with Trieze, Heero hasn't spoken a single word to me about our future, if there even is one.

Since we moved into Trieze's old residence, Heero has been acting as one of our guards, along with the other men. He lives in this house and I see him every hour of the day, but he treats me as if I am only Governor Dorlain, not as the woman he spent all that time with on the island. I know he was afraid to push me while I was mourning my father's death and learning about my long lost brother. But when I see him in the halls he passes me by. 

Worse than the loneliness, though, is the fear that he is preparing himself for the end, for the day when I am no longer Governor, no longer in need of a guard. On that day, he will be free to leave me. I fear, with each day, that he will.

[12th January, 1805]

Relena stood by the window of Trieze's manor, looking out on the bush. Like everything else in this wild country, it refused to be tamed into order. Every few months, the trees and scrub had to be cut back as they rushed forward to reclaim their old land. Or at least, that's how it seemed to Relena.

__

If only I could be so emancipated, she thought.

Even now, as Governor of the colony, as a pioneer for women and with the independence of having her own home she was no closer to having what she wanted than she had been all those months ago. Worst of all, she couldn't understand why. She wanted to believe that Heero had his reasons for avoiding her - her pride demanded it - but as time passed and without evidence to the contrary, she was beginning to feel like an old shoe, cast to one side.

A knock on the door broke her out of her reverie.

"Come in," she called, expecting her brother to enter. It was getting harder and harder to hide her sullen moods from him. 

But it wasn't her brother. It was Heero.

He was dressed in the full uniform of an officer for one of His Highness' Governors: a long, blue jacket, a crisp white shirt and black breeches and boots. The sight made Relena flush and to hide it, she turned back to the window.

"Yes, Captain Yuy?" she said quickly, hoping the less she spoke, the easier it would be to hide the tremor in her voice.

"So we're back to the last names, is it?" Heero asked. His sarcastic tone was all it took to push Relena's built up anger to it's breaking point.

"Look who's talking. I'm not the one putting a snowman to shame. If you were any colder towards me, Heero, I'd have to take my winter clothes out of storage." Relena spun around and found Heero's eyes also narrowed in anger and confusion. But this only infuriated her more. How dare he act as if this were her fault? "If you no longer feel the same way towards me, Heero, the least you could do is say so. Let me move on."

"Is that what you want?" His question held a secret sadness behind them and Relena's anger slowly cooled.

"No. I just…I just want to know what I've done to make you so cold towards me."

He sighed. "The Governor from Victoria has cancelled his trip here," he told her. "He received the reports that said you were doing a great job here and decided you were better off without his help."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It means that no one is going to come take this position from you, Relena," he said and though the words were ones of joy, he may as well have been telling her his best friend had died. "This is your chance to fulfil your dream of having justice in the colonies."

Relena's eyes widened in surprise. "Heero, don't tell me you think that there won't be room for someone in my life now that I'm a Governor?"

He sighed again, as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders, not hers. "Relena, you may not want to believe this, but it's true. People may gain power easily enough, but keeping it is another story altogether…"

"I know that."

"…then you'll know that it would be better for you to find someone who can help you. Someone with a high position of their own."

A frown creased Relena's forehead as his words sunk in. "So what you're saying is that I should marry myself off to some big upper-class snob in order to retain this position? What type of woman do you think I am!?"

"It would be for the good of the colony. You're the best person for this job and you know it!" His voice raised to match hers.

"A job where I have to sell my heart to keep isn't worth it!"

"So you would sell your heart to someone like me?" he asked bitterly. "A soldier? A spy? A criminal? A mur…"

"Don't say it!" cried Relena, walking forward and grasping Heero's upper arms. But he pulled away. "For Gods sake, Heero. Look at our friends! Look at your comrades! Hilde followed Duo halfway across the world to an island in the middle of nowhere. Quatre - a big newspaper owner - is in love with Dorothy, a woman of the streets. Sally loves Wufei, even if she can only see him for a few months at a time. Don't you think such a love would mean more to me than a job?"

"It's not just the job," said Heero, turning away from her gaze. "You're not like us, Relena. You're purer than us and you deserve better than a man like me."

"Heero, I was in love with you a long time before I even arrived in this country," she whispered softly. "You will always mean more to me than this. This country, this town…it isn't my home. You are." Gently, she laid her head against his chest. Her ear was pressed so closely to his body she could hear his heart beat. It was fast, erratic. "Besides, Heero, you can't tell me who I can and can't love. You aren't my father."

"No," he replied. "But he entrusted me to make sure you were taken care of. To make sure you were protected."

"And you've done that" she whispered, leaning in close.

"No I didn't. I tried, but I failed," he said and she worried at the slight sorrow in his voice. 

"Heero, what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying, I didn't protect you from the most dangerous thing to your future and to many other people in the colony," Heero said, his tone low. "I didn't protect you from me."

He pulled away suddenly, then, and Relena was left startled by how cold and empty she now felt away from him.

"Wufei, Sally and Trowa leave tomorrow morning on the Nataku. You knew that. What you didn't know is that I'm going with them. Back to England," his words were so clear, with him standing so close. But to Relena, they seemed to be coming from a long way away. "I don't know how long I'll be gone," he continued. "I don't know if I'll be coming back."

Relena knew, in the silence that followed, that he was waiting for a reply. But how could he expect her to give him one? She felt like she was in a daze and the patterns on the rug beneath her lowered eyes seemed to spin and blur through the rising tears.

"You've made your decision, then?" she whispered.

"Yes. Quatre will take over my role as captain of the guard." Silence reigned again for a moment and it weighed heavily on both of them until Heero could take it no more. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

She raised her face and whispered the words she knew would seal her fate. 

"Goodbye, Heero."


	9. Chapter 9

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Author: Fallen Angel

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Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

****

Chapter 9

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13th January, 1805

Dearest Log,

I can't sleep. It is early in the new day, but I can barely close my eyes, much less sleep. 

Why should I be able to? The only man I have ever loved and the only one I know I will ever love has left me. People say that your first love is just a crush; that age and time will heal your wounds. But all wounds hurt deeply. The deeper they cut, the longer the scar will remain.

If Heero's actions had really been a wound, I would be dead right now because I'm sure he would have cut through to the bone. Perhaps I was a fool the whole time. Perhaps the knowledge I thought I had concerning people and how they act was wrong.

Or perhaps it was as Heero told me that first day on the island. I would play the optimist while he would play the realist. Maybe if I'd listened to him back then, I could have saved us both a lot of pain. I would have recognised we had very different views of the world and left our relationship at nothing.

That's wishful thinking, though. I believe that fate, to some extent, leads us to certain people. The choices we make after that are as set as our personalities are. We can't change who we are, so we can't turn back time and change what we did. I would have always gone to search for my father during the storm, and Heero would have always tried to save me after he…

Oh my god, that's it.

I think I know how to make things right again….

Sally stepped up beside her husband and watched his face by the light of the lamp. He wasn't looking at her, though. His eyes were closely watching the man by the stern of the ship, a man who looked to have lost everything he had and then some. 

Heero Yuy.

"This is about Miss Relena, isn't it?" asked Sally of her husband.

Wufei continued to check the sails were firmly tied up, not answering. Anyone else would have thought he was ignoring her, but Sally knew that he never did anything hastily and that he would answer her in his own time.

"I think," he said finally, "that her effect on our friend has been greater than even he thought."

Sally sighed. "That's what I thought, too. It's a shame that it's ending this way."

Wufei nodded his agreement as Sally helped him secure the sails of the Nataku. There was to be a storm later in the night and Sally was making sure she was of help to her husband. After all, this was only the second time in their marriage that he'd let her accompany him on the journey. It wasn't a matter of there not being room - this return trip, in fact, was barely the crew and a few passengers. No, it was just unusual. There were very few sailors who travelled with their wives. Very few who even considered marriage while still young enough to work.

No, she and Wufei had taken the road less travelled. It had been hard, but worth it. Seeing Heero and Relena, Sally appreciated, once again, how easy it would have been for things with her husband to turn out differently.

She smiled at her husband and he turned to her, curious. "What is it, wife?"

"I love you, Wufei," she said softly.

Wufei's confusion turned to a contented smile. "I love you too."

__

…I rode that night like I have never ridden before. Time was of the essence: I didn't even take a coat with me, nor change into a riding dress. I just left, taking the fastest and strongest horse we had. I had never ridden so hard, not even on the night my father died. That night, fear and desperation had chased me and I was as terrified of what I might find as eager as I was to reach it.

But that night I rode after Heero, the night I chased the sunrise, for the Nataku left at dawn…well, that night, I knew everything in my life rested on reaching him before he left. And though I was still afraid, it was a different fear this time. I was terrified that the last words I would ever speak to him would be 'goodbye'.

I was so lost in riding, I didn't even notice when it began to rain. They were only small droplets at first, but soon turned to an almost blinding sleet. But I couldn't turn back, I couldn't stop. And so I rode on, praying that, for just once, the sun would rise a little later…

"The wind's picking up, Captain," called Trowa. "Perhaps we should leave while we have the chance."

"Perhaps," answered Wufei, pulling his coat tightly against the wind and rain. 

"This storm isn't as bad as it looks," added Trowa. "A lot of rain and wind, but not much else."

"And everyone is on board?"

"The patient manifests have been checked. All on board."

Wufei nodded. "It will be dawn soon. We may as well take advantage of the conditions. Trowa, you and Heero raise the gangplank. We'll leave now."

Trowa walked away and called to Heero. "Come on, the Captain says we're leaving. Help me raise the gangplank."

Heero merely nodded and followed his friend, causing Trowa to sigh. He wasn't as attuned to human emotions as Quatre, but it would take a blind man not to see how depressed Heero was. The other man was staring off into the darkness, his eyes unfocused as they worked. Then suddenly, they narrowed, peering into the shadows near the docks.

"Heero, what is it?"

"Do you…do you hear anything?"

Trowa frowned and listened. He could only hear the wind and the sound of rain striking the planks. "No. What do you hear?"

"It sounds like…" Heero hesitated. "…it sound like Relena."

His friend sighed. The boy had it bad. "I don't…" and then he heard it too. A woman's voice, calling out against the howl of the wind.

"Heero!"

Relena cried out desperately as she neared where the Nataku was berthed. She could see, even through the rain clouding her vision, the sails were unfurled and the anchor raised. She was out of time. Unmounting, she ran down the jetty until she reached the gangplank of the Nataku. Two figures were visible at the top, lifting it up.

"Please, wait!" she cried. "I need to speak to Heero Yuy."

One of the figures peered down in the darkness at her. "Relena?"

She smiled at the sound of his voice. "Heero, please. We need to talk."

There was a moment while he turned to speak to the figure next to him, who she recognised now as Trowa Barton. Then the gangplank was lowered again and Heero strode down it towards her.

She wanted to run into his arms but he frowned when he caught sight of her from the light of a nearby lamp. And then she realised what a sight she must be: hair tangled and straggly about her face, clothes - terribly inadequate for travelling - soaked through, chest heaving with the effort of her ride.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, still frowning. For a second, Relena was worried that her journey had been wasted and that he really did want nothing more to do with her. But she'd come this far. She couldn't give up without even trying.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "Did you fall or jump?"

"What?"

"That night you saved my life, did you fall into the water the way I did, or did you jump in after me. I couldn't tell and I don't remember."

Heero frowned even more. "What does that have to do with anything? Don't tell me you came all this way in the middle of the night to ask me that?"

"It has everything to do with anything," she replied firmly. "And I came all this way because I have to know." She stepped towards him, but he didn't move a muscle. Undaunted, she went on. "Heero, if you jumped in after me, it proves what I've been trying to tell you: that it's possible for us to do anything with love. It means we don't always do what's logical or what's proper but it doesn't mean we haven't done what's right. It proves that I don't mean as little to you as you'd like to pretend."

He said nothing and Relena continued. "But if you only fell in, if saving me just sort of happened, then maybe you're right. Maybe fate dictates what we do. Maybe fate brought us together and maybe fate has the right to separate us again." She sighed and lowered her head. "And if that's the case, then maybe you should go. But I needed to know. If I have to go on without you, I need to know why."

A single tear escaped her eye and Relena hoped it was hidden by the rain already streaming down her face. "Perhaps I was a fool in coming. I admit that. And maybe I'm as naïve as you think me to be for feeling this way, but I can't help it. I love you. I love you, Heero and call me desperate, but I don't want you to leave. You don't have to marry me or anything…I just…"

"Relena," Heero said softly, effectively cutting her off.

"What?" she asked, raising her eyes to his. She was startled by the emotion she saw in those Prussian depths.

"You talk too much."

And with that, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. Then, without any word of warning, without any pretence, he captured her rain-moistened lips with his own and kissed her breathless. With his right arm, he moulded her body to his while his other hand ran through her hair, holding her neck and keeping her lips to his. Not that she would have pulled back anyway. She felt as if she was pouring out all her emotion into the kiss, but it didn't matter because Heero was filling her with his own.

When she finally pulled back, Relena blinked in hazed surprise. But nothing could dim the words he whispered in her ear.

"I jumped."

Sighing, Relena relaxed into his embrace and rested her head against his chest. Slowly, he stroked her damp hair and kissed her on the forehead. 

"Could I…could I hear you say it, Heero? Just once," she added.

Heero smiled and opened his mouth to speak when the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted him.

"Excuse me, Mr Yuy," Captain Chang's voice called out. "But can I take this to say you aren't coming?"

Relena blushed as she made out not only the captain's silhouette, but Sally Po's and Trowa Barton's. She hadn't realised they had an audience. Although, if she knew her new friends at all, they were probably grinning from ear to ear.

"It does," answered Heero, making Relena smile even more. "Trowa, I know you will be able to give His Majesty a full report."

Trowa nodded. "Good luck, my friend. We will see you when we return."

Heero and Relena waved to the others as the Nataku's gangplank was raised and the sails filled. Soon, as the sun rose, the vessel was sailing off into the wide blue Pacific.

"So," Relena went on. "You were saying?"

Heero smiled at her, taking in the way the first light of dawn lit up Relena's face, tinting her hair until it truly seemed to be made of gold, lighting up her blue eyes. Eyes that were now filled with hope and anticipation, waiting for his words. 

So spoke them, and it was like letting something free in his heart. Something that had been trapped since he was young, but had struggled for freedom at the first sight of the diplomat's daughter.

"I love you, Relena."

~Fin~

****

A/N: Feedback, please. Love it, hate it? Let me know.


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